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Early  and  Notable  Events 

...  ill  (he  ... 

History  of  the  North  West  Territory 
Illinois  and  Tazewell  County 

...  including  the  ... 

Names  of  Those  M'ho  have  Serve<1   the  County 

in   Various   Official  Capacities. 


Ry    William    II.    Bales. 


Illlnstrated.     Price,  '2^  cents,  in  Paper  Cover 


ENTERED   ACCORDING  TO  THE  ACT  OF  CONGRESS,   ON  THE  TWENTY-FIRST  DAY  OF  JUNE, 

IN    THE   YEAR   NINETEEN   HUNDRED   AND  SIXTEEN, 

BY    WILLIAM    H.    BATES, 

IN   THE  OFFICE  OF  THE  LIBRARIAN  OF  CONGRESS,   AT  WASHINGTON,   D.  C. 

ALL   RIGHTS   RESERVED. 


Preface 

X     EE-WRITING    AND    CONDENSING    THIS    HISTORICAL   SOUVENIR     OF 
^1         THE   FIRST  AND   MANY  NOTABLE  EVENTS  IN  OUR  EARLY  HISTORY, 

\y       we  deem  it  but  a  just  meed  of  praise  to  refer  to  the  oral    aid 
rendered,  for  nearly    halt   a  century,  by  those  of   our  pioneer 
settlers,  who  have  passed  to  the  "  Great  Beyond,"  to-wit: 

James  Haines,  (Uncle  Jimmie),  Daniel  C.  Orr,  Mrs.  Mary  Tharp- 
Bequeaith,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Tharp,  Judge  William  Don  Maus, 
Benjamin  S.  Prettyman,  Jacob  Tharp,  William  Fletcher  Copes,  Joshua 
Wagenseller,  Daniel  Clauser,  Benjamin  S.  Hyers,  Peter  A.  Brower, 
George  W.  Minier,  Mrs.  Margaret  Wilson-Young  (Grandma  Young), 
and  others. 

We  are  also  indebted  to  the  following  publications:  Charles  Bal- 
lance's  "History  of  Peoria";  Sellers  &  Bates'  "History  of  Pekin"; 
Andreas,  Lyter  &  Go's  "Atlas  Map  of  Tazewell  County";  Charles  C. 
Chapman  &  Go's  "History  of  Tazewell  County";  Munsell  Publishing 
Go's  "Encyclopedia  of  Illinois  and  History  of  Tazewell  County";  Reu- 
ben Gold  Thwaits'  "Story  of  Father  Jacques  Marquette";  John  S.  C. 
Abbott's  "Adventures  of  LaSalle";  Ben.  Perley  Poore's  "Reminiscen- 
ces of  Sixty  Years  at  the  National  Metropolis";  "McClure's  Magazine, 
1895-96";  "Mitchell's  Statistical  Atlas";  "History  of  the  Illinois 
River  Baptist  Association,"  by  Elder  Gilbert  S.  Bailey.  We  desire  to 
extend  special  thanks  to  Irwin  F.  Mather,  A.  M.,  author  of  "The 
Making  of   Illinois,"  for  aids  in  illustrations. 

We  also  wish  to  express  thanks  to  our  Tazewell  County  oflBcers 
for  aid  and  courtesies  extended  us  in  connection  with  the  compilation 
of  this  Historical  Souvenir. 

And  finally,  the  undersigned  respectfully  dedicates  this  volume  to 
the  citizens  of  Tazewell  county,  with  the  humble  hope  that  they  may 
appreciate  its  contents  in  the  same  degree  he  has  enjoyed  in  its  com- 
pilation. Respectfully  and  Fraternally, 

Pekin,  Illinois,  1910.  William  Henry  Bates. 


P 


a 


! 


SOrVKNIR  OF  EARLY  AND  NOTABLE  EVENTS 

In    (he    History   ol   (he  Northwest    Territory,     Illinois   and    Tuxewell    County 

Iiieludinii  the  Names  of  Those  who  have  Served  the  County 

in  Varions  Official  Capacities. 

BY     WM.     H.     BATES 

ROM  THE  MOST  RELIABLE  BIOGRAPHERS,  WHO  HAVE 
written  volumes  on  the  discoveries  in  this  portion 
of  the  Northwest  Territory,  we  learn  that  the 
French  Governor,  Frontenac,  at  Quebec,  Can., 
selected  Louis  Joliet  and  Father  Jacques  Mar- 
quette, who  were  aided  by  five  French  boatmen, 
to  search  for,  and  explore,  a  much  talked  of  and 
mighty  river  (Mississippi)  supposed  to  empty 
its  waters  into  the  Gulf  of  California,  or  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  The  pious  Father  Marquette  was  highly  elated,  when  told 
that  the  Governor  of  New  France  had  chosen  him  to  aid  Joliet  and  to 
look  after  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  party.  On  May  17th,  l(i7:i,  this 
little  band  of  hardy  Frenchmen,  in  two  birch  bark  canoes,  started  from 
St.  Ignatius  on  their  hazardous  mission.  Their  course  was  by  way  of 
Green  Bay,  Fox  River,  Lake  Winnebago,  the  "Carrying  Places,"  and 
Wisconsin  River  to  the  Mississippi;  then  down  the  "Father  of  Waters" 
as  far  south  as  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  River. 

On  their  return  northward,  they  followed  the  advice  of  friendly 
Indians,  who  told  them  of  a  river,  called  the  Illini,  which  was  a  much 
shorter  route  to  the  great  lakes  of  the  north.  Therefore,  on  reaching 
its  mouth  they  turned  the  prows  of  their  canoes  into  its  placid  waters, 
which  they  found  abounding  in  choice  fish,  its  banks  adorned  with 
beautiful  wild  flowers  in  every  hue  of  the  rainbow,  and  its  bluffs  covered 
with  stately  trees,  bushes  and  vines  bearing  edible  nuts  and  berries. 
They  doubtless,  landed  on  what  today  is  Tazewell  county  soil,  to  prepare 
their  frugal  evening  meal  of  corn,  fish  and  venison,  and  to  erect  a  rude 
shelter  of  logs  and  brush  for  the  night.  Thus  we  learn  that  they  were 
the  first  white  men  to  view  and  occupy  this  part  of  Illinois. 

There  is  also  another  claim  tor  first  honors  in  the  navigation,  etc., 
of  the  Illinois  River,  to-wit:  The  International  Cyclopedia,  vol.  s  page 
tiT."),  states  that  Robert  Cavalier  LaSalle  in  1671,  made  a  trip  '■'down 
the  IlUnois  River  to,  or  nearly  to,  the  Mississippi,  and  made  a  map  of 
its  course  and  tributary  streams."  The  reader  is  left  to  his  own  choice. 
Then,  from  the  writings  of  Father  Hennepin,  a  Franciscan  monk, 
we  learn  that  in  January,  lOsO,  LaSalle,  Tonti,  an  Italian  military  aid, 
and  followers  enough  to  man  eight  canoes,  passed  down  a  lake 
"seven  leagues  long  and  one  broad,  called  Pimiteoui,"  (Lake  Peoria). 
LaSalle  landed  near  the  foot  of  the  lake,  and  held  a  parley  with  the 
chiefs  of  a  large  Indian  village,  doubtless  near  the  present  site  of 
Averyville.  Fearing  the  treachery  of  the  Indians,  the  white  men  con- 
tinued their  journey  down  the  Illinois  to  a  point  where  "the  watei-s  of 
the  river  washed  the  base  of  a  high  bluff",  (above  Wesley  City),  landed 
and  erected  a  palisade  fort  on  its  summit  and  named  it  Creve  Cceur, 
(broken  heart  in  French).  La  Salle  then  returned  to  Canada  for  men 
and  supplies,  leaving  Tonti  in  command.  Soon,  nearly  all  of  the  men 
left  to  guard  the  fort,  deserted,  and  organized  as  the  "Banditti  of  the 
Woods  and  Lakes."  They  took  a  course  northward  and  eastward,  rob- 
bing and  destroying  at  will.  LaSalle  and  aids,  pursued,  and  taking  the 
bandits  in  detail,  killed  or  captured  them.     The  unfriendly  Indians  be- 


4  E  a  r  1  !/    a  n  o     N  o  t  a  b  I  e    E  V  e  n  t  s 

coming  hostile,  Tonti  and  his  little  garrison  fled  to  Green  Bay,  Wiscon- 
sin. On  La  Salle's  return,  in  the  Spring  of  IGt^l,  he  found  the  fort  de- 
serted and  destroyed.  He  then  made  a  rapid  trip  to  Green  Bay  and 
brought  Tonti  and  followers  back.  A  small  sloop, the  construction  of 
which  had  been  begun  before  La  Salle's  departure- for  Canada,  and 
which  had  not  been  damaged  by  the  hostile  savages,  was  then  com- 
pleted. It  was  of  forty  tons  measurement,  made  of  Tazewell  County 
oak,  and  the  first  sailing  i-esscl  built  in   Illinois. 

Before  LaSalle  started  on  his  trip  from  Fort  Creve  Coeur  to  Fort 
Frontenac,  he  dispatched  the  pious  Father  Hennepin,  aided  by  two 
French  boatmen,  with  orders  to  descend  the  Illinois  to  the  Mississippi, 
thence  up  the  latter  river  to  its  source.  They  had  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  Wisconsin  river,  where  they  were  taken  into  captivity  by  a  war 
party  of  Issati  Indians,  on  their  way  south  to  make  war  upon  a  tribe 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois.  Hennepin,  after  a  prolonged  parley, 
convinced  them  that  their  mission  would  be  a  failure,  as  the  Indians  to 
be  attacked  had  joined  other  powerful  tribes,  and  were  ready  to  meet 
and  defeat  them.  After  ascending  the  Mississippi  for  three,  or  perhaps 
four  hundred  miles,  they  reached  the  Issati  villages,  near  the  Falls  of 
St.  Anthony.  Hennepin,  and  the  two  boatmen,  were  adopted  by  three 
of  the  leading  chiefs,  to  take  the  place  of  sons  killed  in  battle.  The 
three  Frenchmen  remained  in  captivity  until  they  were  joined  by  five 
of  their  countrymen.  M.  du  Luth,  with  a  guard  of  French  soldiers,  who 
were  exploring,  or  hunting,  in  northern  Wisconsin,  learning  of  the  cap- 
tivity of  their  three  countrymen,  made  a  trip  to  the  villages  of  the  Issati 
Indians.  Soon  after  their  arrival,  a  great  feast  was  held,  presents  were 
exchanged,  and  through  a  promise  that  an  expedition  would  return 
with  goods  to  trade  for  furs,  and  presents  for  the  chiefs,  all  of  the 
Frenchmen  were  allowed  to  depart.  They  returned  i^ia  the  St.  Francis, 
Mississippi,  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  to  Green  Bay,  thence  to  Mack- 
inaw. Although  in  captivity,  Hennepin  and  his  two  boatmen,  were  the 
first  white  men  to  navigate  the  upper  waters  of  the  Mississippi. 

From  various  authorities,  we  learn  that  LaSalle  and  followers  then 
returned  northward.  On  arriving  at  Michilimackinac  (Mackinaw),  about 
the  middle  of  June,  as  stated  by  Father  Membre,  there  was  great  rejoic- 
ing between  LaSalle,  Father  Hennepin  and  those  who  had  escaped  from 
captivity  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi.  Then  followed  the  return 
to  Ft.  Frontenac,  to  prepare  for  the  exploration  of  the  lower  Mississippi. 

No  misfortune  was  great  enough  to  quench  the  ardor  and  determin- 
ation of  LaSalle,  to  reach  the  outlet  of  the  great  "Father  of  Waters," 
so  with  a  force  large  enough  to  man  10  canoes,  in  the  winter  of  16H1-S2, 
he  started  on  that  historic  mission.  On  January  4th,  l(i8L',  after  skirt- 
ing the  shores  of  the  lakes,  they  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago 
river.  The  Illinois  rivers  being  covered  with  ice,  they  constructed 
sleds,  on  which  they  placed  their  birch-bark  canoes,  then  dividing  into 
teams,  they  hauledthe  canoes  over  the  Chicago,  portages,  DesPlaines, 
and  Illinois  rivers,  until  they  reached  the  site  of  Ft.  Creve  Coeur,  where 
they  halted  for  a  weeks  rest.  The  Illinois,  being  navigable  from  this 
point,  they  bade  adieu  to  Creve  Coeur,  and  on  the  Oth  of  February, 
l(i82,  reached  its  mouth,  where  they  were  delayed  until  the  l:ith.  Their 
next  stop  was  at  an  Indian  village  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri. 
From  this  point,  until  the  explorers  reached  their  goal,  they  were 
received  and  feasted,  after  presentation  of  the  calumet  (pipe)  of  peace, 
by  the  various  Indian  tribes  living  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  with 
one  exception — the  fierce  Quinnipissi  tribe,  below  Natches.  The  fleet 
of  canoes,  out  of  reach  of  Indian  arrows,  escaped  by  rapid  rowing,  and 
passed  southward  to  complete  their  mission. 

On  reaching  a  point  where  the  Mississippi  terminates  into  branches, 
LaSalle  divided  his  force:  sending  Mr.  Dautray,  with  one  party,  down 
the  east  branch;  Tonti  and  Membre',  with  another,  down  the  central 


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r>  Early    and    Notable    Events 

branch;  while  himself,  and  party,  took  the  western  branch.  On  reach- 
ing the  Gulf  of  Mexico  the  forces  reunited,  and  on  their  return  norlh- 
ward  ascended  the  western  branch.  On  the  9th  of  April,  llisi',  they 
assembled  on  an  elevation,  raised  a  massive  column,  at  the  foot  of 
which  they  buried  a  leaden  plate,  bearing  an  inscription  in  Latin,  to-wit: 
"Louis  the  Great  Reigns.  Robert  Cavalier,  with  Lord  Tonti.  Ambassador;  Zenobia  Membre', 
Ecclesiastic:  and  twenty  Frenchmen,  first  navigated  this  river  from  the  country  of  the  Illinois, 
and  passed  through  this  mouth  on  the  ninth  of  April,  sixteen  hundred  and  eighty-two." 

The  names  of  the  Frenchmen  are  engraved  on  the  plate.  Following 
which,  LaSalle  made  a  speech,  claiming  all  tributary  streams  and  lands 
in  the  name  of  Louis  the  Great,  King  of  France. 

The  return  to  Fort  Frontenac  was  without  mishap,  with  exception 
of  a  spirited  fight  with  the  fierce  Quinnipissi  Indians,  where  the  fire- 
arms of  the  white  man,  won  a  signal  victory.  Thus  ended  the  search 
for  and  discovery  of  the  outlet  to  the  "Father  of  Waters,"  which  gave 
renown  to  LaSalle,  and  a  vast  territory  to  France. 

The  first  discovery  of  bituminous  coal,  in  the  west,  was  made  by 
Father  Hennepin,  in  i(!7!i,  near  Ottawa,  Illinois. 

In  1700,  Kaskaskia,  the  first  Capital  under  French  dominion,  after- 
wards the  Capital  of  the  Territory  of  Illinois,  was  one  of  the  first  points 
of  the  Great  Northwest  Country  where  the  white  man  made  permanent 
settlement.  The  association  with  the  Indian  had  a  degenerating  influ- 
ence upon  many  of  the  weaker-minded  early  white  settlers,  and  from 
this  period  until  the  cession  to  England  of  Canada  and  other  French 
possessions  east  of  the  Mississippi  in  1763,  but  little  advancement  was 
made. 

In  1723,  Philip  F.  Renault,  under  a  special  grant,  accompanied  by 
a  colony  of  artisans,  mechanics  and  laborers,  and  five  hundred  slaves, 
made  settlement  in  the  American  Bottoms,  near  Kaskaskia.  These 
were  probably  the  first  slaves  brought  into  the  Illinois  country. 

The  Indians  and  semi-civilized  white  inhabitants,  i  nearly  all  French) 
remained  in  possession  of  Illinois,  until  177s,  when  Col.  George  Rogers 
Clark,  at  the  head  of  a  military  force  from  Virginia,  took  possession  of 
Kaskaskia.  Then  in  February,  1779,  Colonel  Clark,  with  less  than  l.")0 
chosen  frontiersmen,  called  "Long  Knives,"  made  one  of  the  most 
heroic  marches,  from  Kaskaskia,  on  the  Mississippi,  to  Vincennes,  on 
the  Wabash  river,  which  was  a  fortified  British  stronghold,  and  cap- 
tured the  fort.  Gen.  Hamilton,  his  officers  and  army  of  "red  coats,"  as 
the  British  soldiers  were  named  by  our  Revolutionary  patriots.  This 
unprecedented  achievement,  caused  the  various  Indian  tribes  who  were 
assembling  to  aid  the  British,  to  sue  tor  peace.  Clark's  master-stroke, 
gave  the  Americans  control  of  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio  and  east 
the  Mississippi  rivers,  which  became  a  county  of  Virginia.  This  acqui- 
sition, known  as  the  Northwest  Territory,  was  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  by  Virginia,  and  in  time  became  the  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Michigan  and  Wisconsin— (K!  inland  empire  in  resources. 

In  August,  177S,  Father  Hyppolite  Maillet,  who  hated  all  English- 
men traditionally,  and  loved  Americans  instinctively,  assembled  300 
French  settlers  "and  friendly  Indians  at  the  "Trading  House",  (now 
Wesley  City),  and  marched  "his  little  army  on  foot  to  the  southern  end 
of  Lake  Michigan,  and  struck  a  successful  blow  for  American  liberty,  by 
capturing  Fort  St.  Joseph,  which  was  defended  by  English  troops  with 
cannon. 

The  first  American  school,  in  the  Illinois  Territory,  was  taught  by 
Mr.  John  Seeley.    It  was  held  in  a  log  cabin,  in  Monroe  county,  in  17S3. 

The  first  Ordinance  for  the  government  of  the  Western  Territory  of 
the  United  States,  was  passed  on  April  23,  1(S4.  Its  educational  and 
freedom-guaranteeing  clauses  were  frought  with  enduring  benefits  to 
coming  generations  of  freedom-loving  citizens  of  the  United  States. 


Early    and    Notable     Events  7 

The  Territory  of  Illinois  was  organized  February  Srd,  1809,  but  the 
increasing  hostilities  of  the  Indians  retarded  occupation,  and  in  August, 
1812,  culminated  in  the  massacre  of  the  garrison  at  Fort  Dearborn  (Chi- 
cago), as  well  as  many  pioneer  settlers  in  that  section  of  the  territory. 
The  territorial  militia  was  then  increased,  took  possession  of  the  most 
available  points,  and  exacted  obedience  to  more  lawful  and  civilizing 
influences.  Fort  Clark,  (the  site  of  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Peoria 
Electric  Light  plant),  was  one  of  the  forts  along  the  border. 

The  territory  comprising  the  county  of  Tazewell  formed  part  of  the 
counties  at  the  dates  named  in  the  several  subdivisions  of  the  State 
prior  to  the  organization  of  the  county,  as  follows: 

1809 — Illinois  Territory  was  organized,  and  subdivided  into  the 
counties  of  Randolph  and  St.  Clair.    Tazewell  was  included  in  the  latter. 

1S12— Tazewell  formed  a  part  of  Madison  county. 

If^l4 — Tazewell  was  included  in  Madison  and  Edwards. 

1S16— Tazewell  was  a  part  of  Madison  and  Crawford  counties. 

1817— Tazewell  was  a  part  of  the  counties  of  Bond  and  Crawford. 

1819 — Tazewell  was  included  in  Clark  and  Bond  counties. 

1821— Tazewell  formed  part  of  Fayette  and  Sangamon  counties. 

In  182.5,  the  Legislature  created  Peoria  county,  and  all  the  territory 
north  of  town  twenty  and  west  of  the  third  principal  meridian,  which 
included  Tazewell,  became  a  part  of  Peoria  for  all  county  purposes. 

When  the  population  of  Tazewell  was  thought  to  be  sufficiently 
large  to  regularly  organize,  an  election  was  held  in  April,  1827,  and 
Benjamin  Briggs,  George  Hittle  and  James  Lotta  were  chosen  County 
Commissioners.  They  at  once  proceeded  to  hold  a  meeting  and  con- 
summate the  organization.  This  they  did  at  the  house  of  William 
Orendorlf,  April  10,  1827. 

The  following  named  gentlemen  served  as  County  Commissioners,  for  the  years  shown 
opposite  their  names,   from   1827  to  1850: 

George  Hittle 1827-29    James  Harvey 1832-34    Rohert  Bradshaw 1839-42 

Benjamin  Briggs 1827-30    William  Brown 1832-34    Durrett  Higgins 1840-43 

James  Lotta 1827         Thomas  F.  Railsback 1833-38    William  S.  Rankin 1841-47 

Ephraim  Stout 1828         Benjamin  Mitchell 1834         Able  Kingman 1842-48 

Nathan  Dillon 1829-32    L.  P.  Fletcher 1834-36    Elias  Ogden 1843-49 

Timothy  B.  Hoblit 1830         Richard  N.  CuUom 1835         James  Broyhill 1846-50 

Isaac  Baker 1830  James  Fisher 1836-39    Joshua  Stewart 1847-30 

Benjamin  Briggs 1831  Alden  Hull 1836-38    Lawson  Holland 1847-50 

William  Holland 1831  Abraham  Bowman 1838-41 

George  Havenhill 1832         Joshua  Wolley 1838-40 

1827 — Tazewell  organized  January  :!1 — boundary  defective. 

1829 — Tazewell  boundaries  defined,  and  error  of  law  of  1827  cor- 
rected as  then  given.  County  originally  created  from  territory  then 
comprising  part  of  the  counties  of  Sangamon  and  Fayette. 

The  county  at  this  time  was  very  large;  even  in  1S29,  when  a  new 
boundary  was  formed,  it  contained  79  townships.  It  has  been  divided 
for  the  formation  of  other  counties  so  often  that  it  has  finally  been  re- 
duced to  19  townships.  (See  sketches  of  the  19  townships  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.) 

ls:{0— McLean  county  was  formed  by  taking  off  the  three  ranges 
east  of  the  meridian  and  range  one  west  of  the  meridian. 

1839 — Logan  county  was  created,  taking  off  three  townships  on  the 
south. 

1S41— The  counties  of  Mason  and  Woodford  were  organized,  and 
Tazewell  reduced  to  its  present  boundaries. 

The  county  was  named  in  honor  of  Hon.  John  Tazewell,  V.  S.  Sen- 
ator from  the  State  of  Virginia.  There  is  a  county  in  that  State  which 
also  bears  the  same  name,  these  being  the  only  two  in  the  LTnited  States. 

Owing  to  limited  space  we  can  only  chronicle  such  striking  features 
of  early  pioneer  history  as  were  kept  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  early 
settlers,  and  by  records  which  have  been  preserved  by  their  child- 
ren ;  therefore  we  will  give  our  readers  brief  mention  of  a  few  first 
and  notable  events  in  the  early  history  of  Tazewell  County: 


S  E  a  r  I  y    a  n  d    N  o  t  a  b  I  e    E  V  e  n  i  s 

Nathan  Dillon  built  the  first  log  cabin  on  Dillon  creek,  Dillon  town- 
ship, in  1823,  and  it  was  (claimed)  the  first  one  by  a  pioneer  settler. 

There  are  other  claimants  for  the  honor  of  first  permanent  settle- 
ment of  Tazewell  county,  to-wit:  Wm.  Blanchard,  Jr.,  accompanied  by 
Charles  and  Theodore  Sargeant  and  David  Barnes,  all  revolutionary 
veterans  of  1812,  came  west  in  181!),  settling  temporarily  at  Fort  Clark 
(Peoria).  Finding  a  fine  piece  in  the  bottom  land  opposite,  they  plant- 
ed a  patch  of  corn  and  potatoes.  Then  in  1822,  they  found,  near  their 
first  patch,  an  old  French  field  of  ten  acres,  which  had  been  abandoned, 
of  which  they  took  possession  and  erected  a  rude  cabin,  and  planted 
corn  and  potatoes.  This  is  claimed  to  be  the  first  dwelling  built  between 
Fort  Clark  and  Chicago,  (probably  excepting  the  log  cabins  built  in  Ft, 
Creve  Coeur  in  1(580,  and  the  "Trading  House,"  built  at  Wesley  City 
about  1775.)  There  is  still  another  claimant— Wm.  Holland,  who  set- 
tled in  Washington  township,  as  early  as  1821. 

The  first  death  of  a  white  man  was  that  of  a  Mr.  Killum,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1823.  He  died  of  exposure  after  crossing  the  Mackinaw  river, 
while  on  a  trip  between  (what  is  today)  Logan  county  and  Peoria. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  Tazewell  county,  was  Hannah,  daughter 
of  Nathan  Dillon.     The  date  of  this  historic  event  was  August  2,  1824. 

Stephen  Woodrow  was  the  first  white  male  child  born  in  the  county. 

Jonathan  Tharp  was  the  first  settler  in  "Town  Site."  He  built  his 
crude  log  cabin  home  on  the  high  ground,  between  what  is  now  the 
Franklin  School  and  Pekin  Gas  Works,  near  the  foot  of  Broadway. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  first  white  settlers  at  "Town  Site,"  there  was 
quite  a  large  Indian  village  on  the  ridge  where  the  P.  &  P.  U.  R.  R. 
trains  pass  by  the  W.  A.  Boley  &  Co.,  ice  houses.  The  Pottawatomies 
predominated. 

Among  the  friendly  Indians  residing  here,  during  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  in  1832,  was  the  noted  Pottawatomie,  Chief  Shabbona,  and  his 
family,  who  erected  wigwams  at  the  foot  of  Bro;idway,  near  the  present 
gas  works.  He  was  a  true  friend  of  the  "pale  face,"  because  of  which 
and  the  fact  that  he  refused  to  join  his  forces  with  Black  Hawk's,  in  a 
war  of  extermination  against  the  "pale  face,"  his  life  was  threatened. 
Whilst  Shabbona  escaped,  Black  Hawk's  savages  succeeded  in  murder- 
ing his  son  and  a  nephew.  Shabbona,  although  an  Indian  by  birth, 
had  early  espoused  the  humane  and  civilizing  influences  of  the  first 
"pale  face"  neighbors,  and  to  his  memory  and  honor  may  be  ascribed 
the  saving  of  scores  of  lives  of  those  who  had  gone  to  the  great  Illini 
country,  to  build  new  homes  and  a  western  empire. 

Shabbona  was  buried  near  Morris,  Illinois,  and  a  monument  was 
erected  to  his  memory  by  the  grateful  Americans. 

Another  prominent  village  of  wigwams,  was  located  near  Mackinaw, 
on  the  river  of  that  name.  It  was  composed  of  a  band  of  Kickapoos, 
with  Chief  Machina  as  their  leader. 

In  February,  182.5,  Ezekiel  Turner  was  killed  by  lightning,  this  be- 
ing the  second  death.  Not  a  foot  of  sawed  lumber  being  in  reach,  the 
rites  of  sepulture  were  performed  in  true  pioneer  style.  William  Wood- 
row  felled  a  straight  walnut  tree,  cut  a  log  the  proper  length,  split  it, 
and  hollowed  one  half  and  shaped  it  like  a  coffin.  From  the  other  half 
of  the  log  a  lid  was  hewn,  then  fastened  down  with  wooden  pins.  In 
this  rude  burial  case  the  body  was  consigned  to  Mother  Earth. 

The  Methodists  are  said  to  have  erected  the  first  brick  church — 
about  1830.  This  was  in  Pekin,  and  Rev.  Jos.  Mitchell  was  the  first  re- 
gular pastor.  This  building,  which  had  been  converted  into  a  foundry, 
was  burned  during  the  great  fire  in  18(!0.  The  Methodists  had  subse- 
quently built  a  new  frame  church  on  the  corner  of  Capitol  and  Margaret 
streets.     The  Palace  Garage  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  brick  church. 

From  1831,  to  1830,  while  Pekin  was  the  county  seat,  Joshua  C. 
Morgan  held  the  offices  of  Circuit  Clerk,  County  Clerk,  Recorder,  Mas- 


LOUIS  JOLIET 

FUR  TRADER   AND   EXPLORER. 

Born  at  Quebec,  Sept.  21.  1645.     Died. 


, 1700. 


FATHER  JACQUES  MARQUETTE 

MISSIONARY    AND   EXPLORER. 

Born  at  Laon,  France,  1637.    Died  May  18.  1675. 
Drawn  hy  Wm.  Peco,  from  a  defaced  oil  painting. 


ROBERT  CAVALIER  de  LaSALLE 

RENOWNED   FRENCH    EXPLORER. 

Born  at  Rouen.  France,  1H43.    Assassinated,  and 
died  in  Texas.  March  19.  1687. 


CHIEF  SHABBONA 

AN    INDIAN,    BUT   "tHE   WHITE   MAN'S    FRIEND." 

Born  in  1775.      Died  in  1859.      Buried  at    Morris. 

Illinois,  where  a  monument  has  been  erected  to 

enmmeniorate  his  deeds  of  self-sacrifice  in 

saving  the  lives  of  many  white  settlers 

from  massacre  by  Black  Hawk. 


10  Early     and     Notable     Events 

ter-in-Chancery  and  Postmaster.  He  transacted  the  business  of  his 
various  offices  and  lived  with  wife,  four  children,  his  brother  and  a 
young  lady,  in  a  house  of  txvo  rooms.  According  to  our  informant,  "Tfte 
entire  coiirt  and  bar,  and  many  others,  often  spent  the  evenings  there.^' 
Such  was  pioneer  hospitality. 

The  first  brick  building  erected  in  Tazewell  county,  for  business  pur- 
poses, was  by  David  Mark,  at  the  corner  of  Court  and  Second  Streets, 
200  Court,  Pekin.  The  rear  of  this  building,  facing  Second  street,  housed 
the  first  bank. 

Gideon  H.  Hawley  is  credited  with  starting  the  first  hotel- 

Mathias  Mount,  one  of  the  early  settlers,  served  in  the  Black  Hawk 
war  as  Second  Lieut.  Co.  C,  Ist  Illinois  regiment.  Lieut.  Mount  will 
be  remembered  by  our  elder  readers  as  an  influential  member  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  from  Dillon  township,  for  many  years. 

The  first  grist-mill  was  erected  b}'  Wm.  Eads,  and  Wm.  Davis.  This 
was  in  Elm  Grove  township,  in  182r>.  It  took  four  horses  to  propel  it, 
and  its  capacity  was  three  bushels  per  hour — the  customer  furnishing 
his  own  horses  or  oxen  for  the  motive  force.  The  pioneer  mills  were 
called  "band  mills." 

The  first  cotton  gin  was  built  by  Wm.  Eads,  and  was  run  in  connec- 
tion with  his  grist-mill. 

About  this  time  Elisha  Perkins  erected  another  "band  mill"  near 
Circleville.  This  mill  was  stockaded  and  used  as  a  fort  during  the 
Black  Hawk  War  in  1S32. 

The  first  mill  propelled  by  water  was  erected  on  Farm  Creek,  in 
1827,  by  Mr.  Leak.  It  had  one  run  of  stone,  and  the  bolting  was  done 
by  hand. 

The  first  woolen  factory  was  erected  by  Theodorus  Fisher,  on  sec- 
tion 34,  Elm  Grove  township,  in  1832.  An  inclined  wheel,  on  which 
oxen  continuously  walked,  was  the  motive  power.  This  mill  received 
patronage  from  all  surrounding  counties,  when  the  pioneer  needed  his 
wool  carded  and  wove. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  on  section  27,  Elm  Grove  township, 
in  1827.     The  first  teacher  was  Samuel  Bentley. 

Joseph,  son  of  Jonathan  Tharp,  was  the  first  male  white  child  born 
in  "Town  Site,"  his  natal  day  being  March  10th,  1827. 

Peter  Cartwright,  the  celebrated  pioneer  preacher,  held  the  first 
camp-meeting  in  Tazewell  county,  in  1S27,  in  a  grove  on  Dillon  Creek, 
Elm  Grove  township,  known  then  as  Drum's  Spring. 

Thomas  Dillon  presided  over  the  first  postoffice.  It  was  located  in 
Dillon  township,  in  1825.  It  was  of  the  genuine  pioneer  pattern,  a  few 
roughly  constructed  letter  and  paper  receptacles.  How  different  from 
the  elegant  offices  of  the  present  day. 

The  first  store  in  the  county  was  opened  by  Absalom  Dillon,  at  the 
town  of  the  same  name,  in  1S2(>. 

Daniel  Dillon  and  Martha  Alexander  were  the  first  couple  married 
in  the  county.  The  license  had  to  be  procured  in  Peoria,  but  they  were 
united  "in  the  bonds  of  holy  wedlock"  in  Elm  Grove  township. 

From  the  history  of  Tazewell  county  issued  in  ls7!>,  we  quote: 
"The  first  marriage  that  occurred  after  the  county  was  organized,  and  the  first  marriage  li- 
cense issued,  were  under  the  following  romantic  circumstances:  Mordecai  Mobiey.  the  first  Coun- 
ty Clerii,  happened  at  old  Father  Stout's  to  stay  all  night.  Mr.  Stout  lived  about  five  miles  from 
Mackinaw.  Mr.  Mobiey  says  he  noticed  a  boy  and  girl  around  but  thought  they  were  brother  and 
sister.  Soon  the  'old  gentleman'  called  him  aside  and  told  him  that  'that  ar  boy  had  been  cornin' 
to  see  his  darter  for  a  long  time,  and  they  want  to  get  married.  Now,'  continued  Mr.  Stout,  'we 
are  livin'  in  a  new  country  and  we  don't  know  what's  to  be  done,  and  we  thinks  as  how  you  can 
tell  us.  They  have  to  get  some  kind  of  a  permit,  don't  they'?'  Mr.  Mobiey  told  him  they  did,  and 
that  he  could  not  only  tell  him  how  to  get  married,  but  that  he  was  the  man  to  issue  the  permit. 
This  pleased  Mr.  Stout,  and  no  doubt  the  young  couple  were  delighted  to  think  that  the  great  ob- 
stacles that  prevented  them  from  being  one— for  they  were  willing  and  so  were  the  old  folks— were 
about  to  be  removed.  Stout  wanted  the  license  immediately.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Mobiey  told  them 
if  they  would  get  him  pen  and  ink  and  some  paper  he  would  write  the  license.  Not  a  sheet  of 
blank  paper  could  be  found  in  the  cabin.  At  last,  Mr.  Mobiey  asked  them  if  they  had  a  book.  Mr, 
Stout  thought  they  had,  as  they  used  to  have  one.  Finally  an  old  book  was  found  which  happened. 


Early    and     N  o't  a  b  I  e     Even  ('s',  11 

to  have  one  whole  unmarked  fly-leaf.  Being  thus  provided  with  paper,  they  found  they  had 
no  pen.  A  pen  was  soon  made,  however.  Mr.  Mobley  toid  them  to  catch  the  biggest  chicken 
they  had.  This  was  done  and  a  large  feather  pulled  out  of  its  wing  and  a  pen  made  of  it.  Again 
they  found  themselves  in  a  dilemma,  out  of  which  the  ingenuity  of  Mr.  Mobley  soon  brought 
them.  After  being  provided  with  paper  and  pen  they  were  minus  ink.  He,  however,  took  some 
water  and  gunpowder  and  made  some  writing-fluid  that  answered  the  purpose.  With  this  ink 
and  pen,  and  upon  the  fly-leal  of  an  old  book,  the  first  marriage  license  issued  in  Tazewell  county 
was  written.  The  couple  for  whom  such  seemingly  insurmountable  obstacles  were  overcome  were 
John  Stout  and  Fanny  Stout.    They  were  married  on  the  25th  of  June,  1827,  by  Rev.  Wm.  Brown." 

Another  early  marriage  was  that  of  Rev.  Peter  Cartwright,  to  Tem- 
perance Kindle,  under  date  of  October  14,  1827.  This  was  the  sixth 
after  the  organization  of  the  county. 

In  the  summer  of  1827,  one  Mr.  Mobley,  known  as  the  land  auction- 
eer, received  the  first  keel-boat  load  of  goods  for  "Town  Site,"  most  of 
which  was  transferred,  by  team,  to  Mackinaw,  then  the  county  seat. 

In  the  fall  of  1S28,  the  first  steamboat  that  is  reported  to  have  as- 
cended the  Illinois  river,  created  wild  consternation.  The  Indians,  liv- 
ing in  villages  along  its  banks,  fled  to  the  hills  or  dense  timber.  At 
Kingston,  where  Jesse  Eggman  had  settled  and  established  a  ferry,  one 
Hugh  Barr,  who  had  never  seen  a  steamboat,  hearing  the  hideous  noise 
made  by  the  escaping  steam,  and  seeing  the  open  fires  under  the  boil- 
ers, which  looked  like  the  flashing  eyes  of  some  monster,  at  the  weird 
hour  of  midnight,  turned  out  with  dog  and  gun  and  chased  the  "mon- 
ster" until  it  passed  up  the  river.  The  small  band  of  settlers  who  lived 
along  our  river  front  from  the  present  site  of  the  old  Tazewell  House 
to  the  site  of  the  Gas  Works,  were  awakened  from  their  peaceful  slum- 
ber by  the  grewsome  exhaust  from  the  old-fashioned  "high-pressure" 
steam  engines,  gathered  in  knots,  and  awaited  the  approach  of  the 
"monster  of  the  deep."  It  is  seated  that  old  Father  Tharp  gathered  his 
family  together  for  prayers,  doubtless  thinking  that  Gabriel  was  blow- 
ing the  "final  call:"  and  that  good  Aunt  Ruth  Stark  prayed  the  All 
Wise  One  to  have  Gabriel  call  at  Fort  Clark,  (now  Peoria)  as  they  were 
"wickeder  up  there." 

In  1828,  Absalom  Dillon  opened  the  first  store  in  "Town  Site"  using 
Jacob  Tharp's  smoke  house  for  a  store  room. 

In  182i»,  William  Clark,  made  and  operated  the  first  ferry  at  "Town 
Site."  It  was  constructed  of  logs  and  puncheons,  and  propelled  with 
long  poles  during  the  low  water,  and  long  sweeps  (oars)  during  the  high 
stages  of  water  in  the  river.  It  crossed  the  Illinois  from  about  the  foot 
of  Harriett  street.  William  Haines  succeeded  Clark,  and  the  ferry  was 
moved  to  the  foot  of  Court  Street. 

The  first  negro  to  reach  "Town  Site",  or  Tazewell  county,  was 
known  as  "Black  Nance,"  who  came  as  a  slave,  leased  to  Major  Crom- 
well, to  satisfy  a  debt.  This  occurred  about  1S20.  She  was  a  good  soul, 
ever  willing  to  help  on  all  festal  occasions.  All  her  children  were  "born 
in  freedom,"  at  Pekin.  As  the  years  rolled  by,  she  gained  distinction 
by  being  the  first  black  slave  freed  by  the  great  emancipator,  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  This  case  came  before  the  courts  and  was  won  by  Lin- 
coln when  he  was  known  as  "Honest  Old  Abe." 

The  first  jail  built  in  Tazewell  county,  was  constructed  of  hewn  logs; 
it  was  l(i  ft  square  and  cost  the  munificent  sum  (then-lH20)  of  $32.'). 75. 
It  was  located  at  Mackinaw,  the  county  seat.  Robert  McClure 
and  Mathew  Robb  were  the  builders,  and  it  was  regarded  the  strongest 
"bastile"  in  this  section  of  the  Great  West.  Nevertheless,  one  Cow- 
hart,  the  first  horse-thief  (who  had  escaped  hanging  or  being  shot),  and 
the  very  first  prisoner  confined  therein,  made  his  escape  the  first  night, 
regardless  of  the  fact  that  he  had  been  chained  to  his  bed.stead. 

Hon.  Mathew  Robb,  J.  P.  was  one  of  the  celebrities  of  this  neigh- 
borhood, as  the  following  incident  will  confirm: 

A  couple  by  the  name  of  John  Pore  and  Miss  Brown  concluded  to  live  together  "for  better  or 
for  worse,"  and  accordingly  called  upon  'Squire  Robb  to  perform  the  marriage  rites.  The  former 
crossed  Sugar  Creek  for  the  purpose  of  taking  Robb  over;  but  as  the  weather  had  been  rainy,  the 
creek  was  high  and  inconvenient  to  cross.  Pore  crossed  it  on  a  log,  while  the  'Squire  sat  on  horse- 


LI3RARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILUN 


12  EarlyandNotableEvents 

back  on  his  side  of  the  stream.  Mr.  Pore  brought  his  bride  down  to  the  creeli:as  it  was  now  about 
eiSlit  o'cloclt  at  night,  torches  were  lit.  It  was  raining  at  the  time,  but  they  paid  no  attention  to 
that.  'Squire  Robb  rode  a  little  distance  into  the  water  in  order  to  distinguish  the  bridegroom  and 
bride  on  the  opposite  bank  and  the  romantic  and  interesting  ceremony  was  performed. 

In  lS29,"Town  Site"  was  surveyed  by  William  Hodge,  County  Sur- 
veyor, the  blocks,  streets  and  lots  being  measured  by  a  combined  rope- 
and-leather  line.  The  wife  of  Major  Cromwell  was  honored  by  being 
called  ou  to  name  the  new  town.  She  selected  "Pekin"  as  an  appro- 
priate name  for  what  all  expected  to  become  one  of  the  largest  cities  in 
the  "Great  Northwest  Country."  Later  in  the  same  year  William 
Haines,  Thos.  Snell,  Nathan  Cromwell,  Wm.  Brown,  and  David  Bailey, 
became  the  sole  owners  of  the  "original  Town  of  Pekin,"  and  when  the 
final  surveys  were  made,  they  found  the  lots  had  cost  them  twenty-eight 
cents  each. 

Thomas  Snell  erected  the  first  school  house  in  Pekin  in  1831,  and 
his  son,  John  S.,  became  the  first  teacher;  then  later,  the  first  -Ith  of 
July  orator.  It  stood  near  the  southwest  corner  of  Second  and  Eliza- 
beth streets.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  in  the  year 
ls:!2,  it  was  inclosed  by  a  stockade  of  split  logs  and  the  enclosure  nam- 
ed "Fort  Doolittle,"  as  tribute  to  the  pioneer  Doolittles,  some  of  whose 
descendants  yet  reside  in  Pekin.  One  oversight,  in  the  hurried  construc- 
tion of  this  fort,  was  the  omission  to  provide  for  a  supply  of  water, 
either  by  wells  or  a  covered  way  to  the  river. 

During  1S31,  Thomas  Snell  erected  the  first  warehouse  at  Pekin. 

At  the  battle  of  "Sycamore  Races,"  a  company  of  volunteers  from 
this  vicinity,  lost  11  killed,  among  them  were  Major  Perkins  and  Capt. 
Adams.  The  survivors  retreated  to  Dixon,  on  the  Rock  River,  except- 
ing the  few  who  sought  home  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  carry  them. 

One  of  the  early  Pekin  settlers,  Mr.  Joshua  Wagenseller,  used  to  re- 
late an  amusing  story  about  the  Indians,  who  camped  on  Indian  creek, 
as  follows: 

An  Indian  known  as  Chief  Walker  by  the  early  settlers,  often  came  to  Pekin.  On  one  of  his 
visits  he  offered  a  bushel  of  silver  dollars  to  any  young  white  man  who  would  marry  his  daughter. 
A  party  of  young  men  from  Pekin  made  the  chief  a  visit  with  a  view  to  the  possession  of  a  bushel 
of  silver,  so  much  wealth  being  a  great  inducement.  On  their  arrival  the  proud  old  chief  led  them 
to  the  wigwam  where  the  daughter  sat  silently  awaiting  her  fate.  The  young  men  gazed  on  the 
maiden  in  utter  silence  and  dismay— she  was  so  fearfully  homely.  The  situation  grew  embarass- 
ing.  the  young  men  looked  at  one  another,  and  then  silently  sneaked  out  one  at  a  time,  leaving 
the  old  chief  and  his  daughter  alone  to  meditate  over  "lack  of  appreciation"  on  the  part  of  the 
"pale  face"  brethren.  All  were  unwilling  to  talk  of  the  visit,  and  singly  expressed  a  great  desire 
for  the  "other  fellow"  to  take  the  girl  and  the  bushel  of  money. 

In  the  spring  of  ly;>l,  the  county  seat  was  moved  from  Mackinaw  to 
Pekin  and  Judge  Sam'l  D.  Lockwood,  of  the  State  Supreme  Court,  pre- 
sided, and  the  court  was  held  in  the  Snell  school-house. 

The  deep  snow  of  1830-31,  was  not  only  a  record  breaker,  but  es- 
tablished a  record:  Snow  began  falling  December  2itth,  ls30,  and  con- 
tinued for  three  days  and  nights,  leaving  the  earth  covered  with  a  white 
mantle  about  four  feet  thick,  with  some  drifts  at  least  twenty  feet  deep. 
Many  cattle  and  hogs,  also  all  kinds  of  wild  game,  met  death  by  freez- 
ing. "  The  early  settlers  suffered  many  privations  through  hunger  and 
cold.  Between  December  2!),  1S30,  and  February  13,  1S31,  snow  fell 
nineteen  times.  The  sun  was  seldom  seen  and  a  general  gloom  pervaded 
the  settlements.  Corn  that  had  been  left  on  the  stalk  in  the  field 
had  to  be  gathered  by  digging  in  the  snow  for  it.  Many  of  the  brave 
settlers  had  to  travel  on  snow-shoes  to  the  more  favored  places,  to  se- 
cure food  and  necessaries  to  save  their  families  from  starving.  They 
stood  on  the  crust  of  the  frozen  snow,  and  for  fuel,  cut  off  trees  so  high 
that  after  the  snow  had  melted  away  some  time  in  April,  1.S31,  the 
stumps  left  above  ground  were  tall  enotigh  for  fence  rails. 

There  was  frost  during  every  month  of  1831,  consequently  poor 
crops  followed  the  eftbrt^  of  the  pioneer  husbandman. 

The  earliest  organized  Baptist  Church,  in  Tazewell  county,  occur- 
red at  the  home  of  Mr.  Lucas,  near  Pleasant  Grove,  in  December,  1833. 


GEN.  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 

"WASHINGTON   OF  THE  WEST." 

Born  near  Monticello.  Va..  Nov.  19,  17S2.    Died  at 
Louisville,  Ky..  Feb.  18.  1818. 


GEN.  ARTHUR  St.  CLAIR 

FIRST   GOVERNOR   OF  THF   NORTH  WEST  TERRITORY 
APPOINTED    BV   GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 

Born  at  Thurso.  Scotland.  1734.     Died  at  Greens- 
burg.  Penn..  Aug.  31.  1818. 


NINIAN  EDWARDS 

FIRST   GOVERNOR   OF  THE  TERRITORY   OF   ILLINOIS. 
APPOINTED    BY    PRESIDENT  MADISON. 

Born  in  Maryland.  March  17.  1775.    Died  at  Bell- 
ville.  III..  July  26.  1833. 


SHADRACH  BOND 

FIRST  GOVERNOR   OF    THE  STATE  OF   ILLINOIS. 

Born  in  Maryland  in  1773.     Died  at  Kaskaskia. 
Illinois.  April  13.  1832. 


24  \Early     and     Notable     Events 

The  building  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  corner  of  Elizabeth  and  South 
Fifth  streets,  Pekin,  was  begun  about  1851-52,  but  not  completed  until 
l,s55.  Elder  Gilbert  S.  Bailey,  on  one  of  his  visits  to  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, met  his  old  neighbor,  Abraham  Lincoln,  who,  on  learning  that 
Bailey  was  soliciting  funds  to  complete  the  Pekin  church,  cheerfully 
s^ibscribed  -$10.01).  This  is  the  oldest  brick  church  building  in  Tazewell 
county  still  occupied  by  a  goodly  number  of  God-loving  christians. 

The  first  successful  Free-school,  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  was  estab- 
lished in  Chicago,  in  ls84. 

During  the  year  1834,  work  was  begun  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal.  After  its  completion  in  184S,  the  citizens  of  Tazewell  county 
had  better  markets  for  their  products  by  way  of  Pekin,  Chicago  and  the 
great  lakes,  and  received  their  purchases  of  merchandise  more  prompt- 
ly and  cheaper.  . 

In  1834,  the  Asiatic  cholera  made  its  first  appearance.  Those  living 
in  the  river  towns,  the  main  thoroughfare  of  travel,  became  the  princi- 
pal sufferers.  Among  the  number  who  died  in  Pekin  were  Thos.  Snell, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Perry,  Mr.  Smith,  Mrs.  Coldron,  Mrs.  J.  0.  Morgan,  Wm. 
Haines,  and  others. 

Sam'l  Flesher,  was  Captain  of  one  of  the  first  militia  companies  m 
Tazewell  county.     It  was  organized  at  Mackinaw,  about  1834-3.'). 

In  183t>,  Jacob  Tharp  erected  one  of  the  first  two-story  brick  build- 
ings in  Pekin.  It  was  located  on  Tharp  Place  between  Sixth  and  Seventh 
streets,  and  was  at  first  occupied  as  a  residence  for  several  years.  Then 
it  became  the  "Pekin  Academv,"  for  young  ladies  and  gentlemen.  In 
1H52,  Elder  Gilbert  S.  Bailey,  assisted  by  his  wife,  took  charge,  and  for 
several  years  this  school,  (by  some  named  the  "Female  Seminary,'') 
was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  leading  educational  institutions.  G.  S. 
Bailey  was  transferred  to  Chicago,  and  became  one  of  the  prominent 
workers  in  the  inauguration  of  the  Chicago  University.  Soon  after  Mr. 
Bailey's  departure,  it  again  became  a  residence.  It  was  best  known  as 
the  Ansel  Haines  homestead.  -,,,.,   ^ 

"What  a  sudden  change!"  is  an  expression  often  heard— but  later 
years  have  not  produced  one  equal  to  that  of  January,  183(>:  Snow  had 
fallen  to  the  depth  of  four  inches,  which  was  followed  by  a  drizzling 
rain,  leaving  the  earth  covered  with  "slush".  A  cold  wave  came  from 
the  northwest,  and  so  sudden  was  the  change  that  cattle,  hogs,  chick- 
ens, etc.,  froze  fast  where  they  were  standing  and  had  to  be  cut  loose. 
Men  and  women,  out  in  the  fields  and  gardens,  and  short  distances  from 
their  homes,  nearly  froze  to  death  before  they  could  seek  covered  pro- 
tection, owing  to  the  bitter  cold. 

A  long  talked  of  event  occurred  in  Pekin,  in  1837.  It  was  an  enter- 
tainment given  by  the  noted  Jeffersons— father,  mother  and  son  Joseph, 
in  the  "Yellow""  school-house,  situated  on  the  corner  of  Second  and 
Susannah  streets.  The  performance  was  frequently  disturbed  by  a  lit- 
ter of  pigs,  which  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  shelter  under  the  building. 
Mrs.  Jefferson,  who  was  a  talented  singer,  was  so  disturbed  by  their 
noise  while  singing,  "Home,  Sweet  Home,"  that  she  broke  down  and 
went  off  the  stage  weeping. 

The  first  hotel  of  any  prominence,  was  the  "Delavan  House,  built 
by  the  Delavan  Colony,  at  Delavan,  in  this  county,  about  1s3(!-1k37. 
AH  of  the  material  used  in  its  erection,  excepting  sills  and  framing  tim- 
bers, came  from  the  eastern  states.  In  after  years  it  was  named  the 
"Phillips  House."  As  the  latter  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  August  L'8, 
187i»  In  1S40,  Hon.  Ira  B.  Hall,  lately  deceased,  became  its  popular 
landlord.  Like  all  the  leading  hostelries,  on  the  stage  coach  line  be- 
tween Peoria  and  Springfield,  this  house  furnished  entertainment  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  other  noted  Americans. 

In  1840,  the  Town  of  Pekin  contracted  with  Mr.  John  Sleeth  to  build 
an  up-to-date  ferryboat.     It  was  first  in  its  line  at  that  date. 


Early    and    Notable    Events  Ifi 

Between  1840  and  1850.,  a  two-story  brick  building,  with  a  square 
cupola  at  the  front  apex  of  the  roof,  was  erected  on  Margaret  street, 
near  Capitol.  The  grandfathers  and  grandmothers  of  to-day,  who 
''''graduatecV  in  the  three  great  R's,  within  its  walls,  will  remember  it  as 
the  "Old  Brick  School-house."  For  many  j'ears,  while  the  lower  room 
was  occupied  as  a  "Pay  School,"  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows  held 
their  meetings  in  the  upper  room.  After  the  adoption  of  the  state  free 
school  system,  the  entire  building  was  occupied  by  the  free  schools  of 
Pekin,  then  the  county-seat. 

The  two  most  noted  "great  floods"  in  the  Illinois  river,  since  white 
men  have  kept  record,  was  in  ls44  and  1849,  during  one  of  which  the 
water  rose  to  such  a  height  that  the  lower  floor  of  the  old  Illinois  River 
Packet  Go's  warehouse  basement  was  covered  with  six  inches  of  water. 
Such  a  flood  to-day  would  submerge  the  railroad  tracks  along  the  river 
front  and  the  water  would  flow  over  the  floor  of  the  wagon  bridge  and 
endanger  the  Sugar  Works,  Distilleries  and  Card  Board  Factory. 

The  year  184H  witnessed  the  establishment  of  two  so-called  "first- 
class"  hotels  at  Pekin.  The  "Eagle,"  which  stood  where  the  remains 
of  the  old  Tazewell — afterward  Bemis  House,  was  kept  by  Mr.  Seth 
Kinman,  who  afterwards  acquired  considerable  celebrity  as  a  hunter 
and  a  trapper  in  the  far  West,  and  by  presenting  buck-horn  and  bear- 
claw  chairs,  of  his  own  make,  to  Presidents  Abraham  Lincoln  and  An- 
drew Johnson. 

The  other,  afterwards  the  Mansion  House,  but  then  known  as  the 
"Taylor  House,"  was  presided  over  by  Lieut.  William  A.  Tinney,  who 
later  distinguished  himself  by  being  the  first  white  man  in  Pekin  to  lead 
a  negro  to  the  polls  to  vote. 

According  to  traditional  authority,  the  manner  of  welcoming  guests 
at  these  hotels  was  very  peculiar,  as  the  following  will  illustrate: 

A  traveler  came  off  a  steamboat  one  day.  and  went  to  the  Eagle  Hotel.  There  had  been  a 
little  western  "scrimmage"  atthe  "Eagle"  the  night  before,  and  though  things  had  not  been  put 
in  order,  the  proprietor.  Seth  Kinman,  was  sitting  in  front  of  the  door,  playing  his  favorite  tune, 
the  "Arkansaw  Traveler",  with  the  greatest  self-satisfaction.  The  stranger,  stopping,  said  to  Seth: 
"Are  you  the  proprietor  here?"  Setii.  without  resting  his  bow,  replied-  Wall,  I  reckon  I  be,  stran- 
ger". "Do  you  keep  tavern?"  'Of  course  I  do:  I  keep  tavern  like  h — 1,"  said  Seth,  fiddling  away 
with  all  his  might,  "Just  pile  in:  hang  your  freight  on  the  floor,  and  make  yourself  at  home.  "The 
boys,"  continued  Seth,  "have  been  having  a  little  fun.  but  if  there  is  a  whole  table  or  plate  in  the 
house,  I'll  get  you  some  cold  hash  toward  night".  The  stranger  didn't  like  this  peculiarly  western 
reception,  so  took  his  departure,  leaving  Kinman  still  enjoying  his  violin. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  traveler  presented  himself  at  the  Taylor 
House.  Lieut.  William  Tinney  met  him  outside  with  his  most  austere 
expression  and  greeted  him : 

"Good  morning,  good  morning,  sir:  walk  in,  sir;  take  a  seat,  sir:  shave  you  as  soon  as  the  water 
GETS  warm!  The  stranger  not  requiring  the  services  of  a  barber,  walked  off  in  haste  and  amazement 
and  the  Lieutenant  swore  audbly  that  he  was  "some  infernal  Yankee,  come  out  west  to  steal  hon- 
est people's  money."  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  next  steamboat  that  reached  Pekin  had  an 
eager  passenger  at  the  landing  waiting  the  opportunity  to  escape  such  peculiar  hospitality. 

The  two  most  prominent  hotels  of  Pekin  were  the  American  and 
Tazewell.  The  American  was  built  and  run  by  Chas.  Morris.  In  after 
years  it  was  sold  to  Thos.  D.  Conaghan,  who,  as  owner  and  proprietor, 
renamed  it  the  Planters  House,  which  it  remained,  until  sold  to  a  Mr. 
Kuhn,  who  converted  it  into  an  office  and  business  building — "Kuhn" 
building,  ;i.53-3.5.5  Court  street. 

The  Tazewell  House,  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  its  day,  was 
built  by  Richard  Snell.  A  Mr.  C'loudas  was  one  of  its  early  landlords. 
Following  Mr.  Cloudas,  Messrs.  Stone  &  McDougal  became  proprietors. 
Then  came  'Squire  Wm.  A.  Tinney,  who  catered  to  such  guests  as  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  David  Davis,  and  the  other  hotables 
of  that  day.  It  retained  its  name  until  purchased  by  Mr.  T.  K.  Bemis, 
who  renamed  it  the  Bemis  House,  which  it  remained  until  abandoned 
and  torn  down.  It  stood  at  the  corner  of  Court  and  Front  streets,  the 
present  site  of  the  little  park  at  the  west  end  of  Court  street. 


16  Early    and    Notable    Events 

During  the  year  (1.S49)  the  county  seat  was  removed  from  Tremont 
to  Pekin.  The  erection  of  the  old  Pekin  court  house  was  begun  by  a 
committee  appointed  by  the  Legislature,  consisting  of  Dr.  Wm.  S.  Maus, 
Thos.  N.  Gill,  James  Haines,  David  Mark  and  T.  J.  S.  Flint.  The  funds 
were  contributed  almost  wholly  by  the  citizens  of  Pekin,  and  the  build- 
ing cost  about  $8,000.  "Uncle"  James  Haines,  lately  deceased,  had 
charge  of  the  construction.    It  was  not  permanently  occupied  until  1850. 

Covenant  Lodge  No.  48,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Pekin,  111.,  was  granted  a 
Charter  under  date  of  July  2tith,  1849. 

Pekin  Lodge,  No.  29,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  chartered  in  1849. 

Empire  Lodge,  No.  I'-'fi,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  chartered  Oct.  3,  1853. 

Pekin  Chapter,  No.  25,  R.  A.  M.,  charter  issued  Sept.  '2 1 ,  1855. 

In  1850,  the  great  thoroughfare  of  travel  and  shipment  of  merchan- 
dise, was  by  way  of  steamboats,  canalboats  and  fiatboats,  the  greater 
part  being  by  steamboat.  The  record  of  the  steamboats  doing  business 
on  the  Illinois  river,  even  as  far  north  as  Peru,  is  given  below: 

NAME  or  BOAT.  TONNAGE.     TRIPS     NAME  OF  BOAT.  TONNAGE.     TRIPS     NAME  OF  BOAT.  TONNAGE.      TRIPS 

Alleghany  Mail 77 2    Schuylkill 272 6    Piasa 85 6 

Lamartine ITS 4    Enterprise 200 2    Magnet 98 8 

Daniel  Hillman 145 42    Wyoming 198 2    Pearl 54 4 

Pioneer 209 30    Alliquippa 215 8    Comet 116 18 

Falcon 144 76    Buena  Vista 266 4    Financier 125 18 

Mountaineer 213 60    St.  Croix 160 16    America 145 30 

Kingston 145 72    Laurel 80 10    Uncle  Toby 109 2 

Archer 148 30    Citizen 171 2    Hudson 95 16 

Planter 200 48    Beardstown. 80 40    Prairie  State 288 44 

Martha  No.  2 177 18    Gov.  Briggs 91 6    Kentucky 140 22 

Lightfoot 155 4    Jewess 220 18    Daniel  Boone 170 2 

Movastar 140 60    Alvarado 135 22    Mary  Stevens 225 4 

Avalanche 220 77    Niagara 215 12    Newton  Wagner 105 6 

Senator 121 32    Susquehanna 142 14    Visitor 141 2 

Prairie  Bird 215 56    J.J.Crittenden 225 2    Mary  Blain 181 2 

Tiger 83 28    Caleb  Cope 80 40    Oswego 187 4 

Andrew  Jackson 290 12    Belmont 115 36    Clermont 112 1 

Connecticut 249 56    Gen.  Gaines 160 12    R.H.Lee 180 2 

RobertFulton 200 28    Time  and  Tide 261 6 

Ocean  Wave 205 66    Eureka 115 26    Total  ton.  &.  trips.... 9463 1236 

The  Free-School  System  for  the  State  of  Illinois,  was  established 
in  1855.     The  development  of  the  system  was  not  perfected  until  1857. 

The  county  offices  opposite  tlie  Tazewell  Hotel,  were  erected  in 
1856-57.     They  have  been  razed  to  make  room  for  the  new  court  house. 

In  1862,  the  second  county  jail,  (torn  down  to  give  way  to  the  new), 
holding  15  to  20  persons,  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  It  was  a  two- 
story  brick  and  contained  offices  and  stone  cells  below  and  sheriff's 
family  quarters  above.  It  stood  northwest  of  the  present  county  jail, 
and  faced  Court  street.  The  new  county  jail  and  Sheriff's  residence, 
was  erected  in  1892. 

The  first  steamboat  disaster,  occurred  Sunday  morning,  April  1«), 
1852.  The  packet  steamers  "Prairie  State"  and  "Avalanche,"  south- 
ward bound,  landed  almost  simultaneously  at  the  Pekin  wharf,  both  car- 
rying a  high  (racing)  pressure  of  steam.  "The  "Prairie  State"  drew  out 
from  the  landing  ahead  of  her  competitor,  and  had  reached  a  point 
nearlj'  opposite  our  present  gas  works,  when  her  boiler  exploded  with 
terrific  force.  It  was  the  "church-going"  hour,  but  the  worship  of  the 
Deity  was  changed  to  the  duties  of  the  good  Samaritan,  and  our  great 
hearted  citizens  rallied  to  the  rescue.  The  "Avalanche"  steamed  down 
to  the  wreck  and  towed  what  was  left  of  the  beautiful  "Prairie  State" 
back  to  the  Pekin  wharf.  Many  of  the  bodies  were  recovered  and 
placed  side  by  side  under  the  walnut  and  oak  trees  that  fringed  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  every  available  house  became  a  temporary  hos- 
pital in  which  to  alleviate  the  scalded  and  maimed  passengers  and  crew. 
Mr.  James  Sallee,  a  passenger  from  Peru,  111.,  to  Texas,  informed 
the  writer  that  the  "Prairie  State"  was  crowded  with  passengers, 
many  of  whose  bodies,  he  thinks,  were  never  recovered.  The  exact 
loss  was  never  ascertained.     He  humorously  stated  that  he  was  literally 


TREMONT  COURT  HOUSEs 


The  generous  gift  by  Mr.  John  Harris, 
who  gave  20  acres  of  land,  and  a  dona- 
tion of  $2000  by  the  citizens  of  Tremont. 
induced  the  Commisioners  to  report  in 
favor  of  Tremont  as  the  most  centrally 
located  and  proper  place  for  the  county 
seat,  and  the  Legislature  approved. 

This  building  was  constructed  of  red 
brick.  4l)xH0  ft.  in  size,  two  stories  high, 
with  Grecian  columns  to  support  front 
(like  old  Pekin  building).  The  Tremont 


structure  had  an  octagonal  cupo- 
a  with  a  rounded  dome  covered 
with  copper  and  surmounted 
with  a  weathervane. 

The  building  contract  called 
for  $14,450.00.  It  was  not  ready 
for  occupancy  until  1839, 


Abraham  Lincoln  was  attending  court  in  the  above  Ijuil.lnm  w  lu  u  rhallcnm  J  In  <■■  ii  Mii'lds. 
They  assembled  on  an  Island  opposite  Alton,  111.,  to  fight  a  duel  with  cavalry  broad-swords.     Ihe 
friends  with  them,  interposed,  the  difficulty  was  adjusted,  and  Lincoln  and  Shields  became  friends. 


GEN.  JAMES  SHIELDS 

LAWYER,  SOLDIER  AND  STATESMAN. 

Born  in  Dungannon,  Ire.,  1810.  Died  at  Ottumwa.. 
Iowa.  June  1,  1879. 
Jas.  Shields  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  16. 
In  1832  began  practice,  as  a  lawyer,  at  Kaskaskia, 
111.  Elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Illinois  in  1836. 
and  was  made  State  Auditor  in  1839:  Judge  of 
the  State  Supreme  Court  in  1843,  and  Land  Com- 
missioner in  1845.  He  entered  into  the  Mexican 
War  in  1846,  and  was  made  a  Brigadier-General. 
For  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Cerro-Gordo.  where 
he  was  severely  wounded,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Brevet  Mai.-Gen'l.  He  was  also  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Chapultepec:  mustered  out  in 
1848.  and  appointed  Governor  of  the  Territory  of 
Oregon.  In  1849.  was  elected  U.  S.  Senator  from 
Illinois.  He  removed  to  Minnesota  in  1856.  and 
became  a  U.  S.  Senator  in  1858.  and  after  filling 
out  a  short  term,  took  up  residence  in  California. 
In  1861.  was  made  a  Brigadier-General  by  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  but  owing  to  the  debilitating  effects 
of  numerous  wounds,  resigned  in  1863.  and  settled 
at  Carrolton.  Mo.  In  1874  and  1879,  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  of  Missouri,  then  a  U.  S.  Sena- 
tor to  fill  out  an  unexpired  term,  thus  giving  him 
the  special  distinction  of  being  the  only  patriot 
to  serve  as  U.  S.  Senator  from  three  States. 


18 


Early     and     N  o  t  d  b  I  c     Events 


"blown  into  Pekin."  One  of  the  oddities  in  connection  with  the  explo- 
sion, was  related  to  us  by  Mrs.  Emma  (Tharp)  Bequeaith,  a  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Tharp,  who  lived  on  the  high  ground  east  of  the  present  gas 
works,  to-wit:  Her  brother,  who  was  shaving,  had  completed  but  one 
side  of  his  face,  when  the  explosion  startled  him,  and  with  a  realizing 
sense  of  duty  to  be  performed,  he  hastily  went  to  the  rescue,  not  know- 
ing how  ludicrous  he  appeared  until  attention  was  called  to  his  odd  fac- 
ial appearance. 

The  longest  winter,  recorded  for  this  county,  since  the  advent  of  the 
white  man,  was  that  of  1842-43.  It  began  November  4,  1842,  and  did 
not  end  until  April,  1843. 

CO.  G.  FOURTH  ILLINOIS  VOLUNTEERS.  IN 
THE  MEXICAN  WAR.  a  Tazewell  County  com- 
mand, returned  to  Pekin  on  June  7th.  1847.  after 
an  active  service  of  one  year  under  Gen.Winfield 
Scott.  Out  of  a  full  company,  three  died  in  hos- 
pital, one  died  of  wounds  received  at  Cerro  Gordo. 
First  Lieut.  Knott  died  of  yellow  fever,  and  his 
remains  were  brought  home  for  burial.  Ten  were 
discharged  for  disability,  one  left  sick  in  hospital 
and  one  deserted.  Edward  Jones,  was  Captain; 
Leonard  A.  Knott.  1st  Lieut.;  Wm.  A.  Tinney. 
2nd  Lieut.;  Benj.  F.  Perry.  :!rd  Lieut.;  John  M. 
Gill.  1st  Sergt.;  John  W.  Page.  2nd  Sergt.;  Saml. 
Rhoads,  3rd  Sergt.;  Jesse  A.  Nason.  IstCorpl.; 
Richard  S.  Updyke.  2nd  Corpl.;  Wm.  W.  Moore. 
-■Jrd  Corpl.;  Joseph  Turner,  Musician.  The  above 
was  the  official  roster  at  the  start,  but  sickness 
and  discharge  called  for  some  promotions,  from 
the  ranks,  during  the  term  of  service.  General 
Edward  D.  Baker  was  the  first  Colonel  of  the  4th. 
Mr.  John  G.  Hammer,  who  was  a  pioneer  citi- 
zen of  Pekin,  is  now  passing  his  declining  years 
with  a  daughter.  Mrs.  R.  R.  Greer,  at  Loami.  111. 
Comrade  Hammer,  on  June  26th.  1916.  will  have 
reached  his  96th  year,  having  been  born  in  Fred- 
JOHN  G.  HAMMER.  erick  county.  Maryland,  June  26th,  1820.    He  is 

the  only  known  living  member  of  Co.  G,  4th  III.  Inft,,  and  of  the  first  members  of  Covenant  Lodge. 
No.  48. 1.  O.  0.  F.  of  Pekin,  111.  As  a  carpenter-builder,  he  is  credited  with  having  driven  the  first 
nail  in  the  old  State  House,  at  Springfield,  111.,  now  the  Sangamon  County  court  house. 

Among  the  trophies  secured  and  brought  back  by  Co.  G,  from  the 
land  of  the  Montezumas,  was  a  convent  bell,  captured  at  Vera  Cruz. 
It  was  safely  conveyed  home,  packed  in  straw  in  a  hogshead,  and  for 
many  years  did  service  in  the  belfry  of  the  old  Methodist  Church,  which 
stood  on  the  corner  of  N.  Capitol  and  Margaret  streets,  Pekin,  just 
north  of  the  Farmers  National  Bank  Building.  When  the  old  church 
was  sold,  the  bell  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Catholic  denomination, 
and  for  many  years  called  to  worship  the  members  of  St.  Joseph's 
Church,  corner  S.  Second  and  Susannah  streets,  Pekin.  The  bell  is 
still  in  possession  of  St.  Joseph's  Society. 

Sergt.  John  M.  Gill,  of  Co.  G,  brought  back  from  the  land  of  the 
worshipers  of  the  sun,  Santa  Anna's  wooden  leg,  which  was  found  in 
his  carriage  after  his  escape  from  our  soldiers.  After  preserving  the 
trophy  for  many  years,  Sergt.  Gill  presented  it  to  the  State,  and  it  has 
been  placed  among  the  Illinois  war  trophies  at  the  Capitol  in  Spring- 
field. 

In  order  to  preserve  the  record  of  the  "Battle  of  the  Giants,"  as  the 
unparalleled  debates,  between  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Stephen  A.  Doug- 
las, in  18.58,  were  termed,  we  deem  it  fitting  to  give  dates  and  cities  in 
Illinois  when  and  where  held:  On  August  21st,  at  Ottawa;  August  27th, 
at  Freeport;  September  1.5th,  at  Jonesborough;  September  l8th,  at 
Charleston;  October  7th,  at  Galesburg;  October  13th,  at  Quincy;  Octo- 
ber loth,  at  Alton. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  18.59,  the  first  rail  was  laid  and  the  first  spike 
driven  on  the  prospective  Illinois  River  Railroad.  This  was  made  a 
gala  day.     This  road  was  not  completed  until  it  passed  into  new  hands 


E  a  r  I  y     and     Notable     Events  19 

and  re-named  the  Peoria,  Pekin  &  Jacksonville.  In  the  early  seventies 
it  again  changed  hands,  and  was  re-christened  the  Chicago,  Peoria  & 
St.  Louis  Railroad,  which  it  remains  today. 

The  first  legal  hanging  was  that  of  John  Ott,  on  March  Ist,  1861. 
This  was  for  the  murder,  by  Ott,  of  Mrs.  Orendortf  and  her  little  girls, 
who  lived  near  Delavan.  Ott  was  hung  in  the  northeast  corner  of  court 
square,  Pekin. 

The  first  lynching  took  place  August  1st,  Istjt),  and  Wm.  Berry,  who 
had  murdered  Deputy  Sheriff,  Henry  Pratt,  on  the  ;iOth  of  July,  was 
taken  from  the  county  jail  at  Pekin,  by  an  armed  body  of  njen  who  had 
overpowered  the  jailor  and  his  aids,  and  hanged  to  the  limb  of  a  tree 
that  stood  near  the  Court  street  end  of  the  cement  walk  that  leads  to  the 
new  county  jail.  This  prompt  action  broke  up  a  gang  of  desperadoes 
who  lived  near  Circleville,  Tazewell  county. 

The  first  assemblage  of  farmers,  to  exhibit  their  products  in  compe- 
tition, in  Tazewell  county,  according  to  memory  of  our  informant  (who 
was  a  boy  at  the  time),  was  what  they  termed  a  "Colt  Show,"  at  which 
there  were  on  exhibit  half  a  dozen  mares  with  their  colts.  This  embryo 
fair  took  place  at  Tremont  in  the  early  "forties."  From  a  "Colt  Show" 
it  grew  into  quite  a  reputable  fair,  where  the  products  of  the  farm  and 
home  were  shown  in  competition,  up  to  the  close  of  the  Civil  War.  It  was 
followed  by  the  fair  organized  in  Pekin  in  l.sTO,  which  gave  three  of 
the  best  county  fairs  ever  held  in  Illinois.  The  last  was  badly  managed 
which  resulted  in  its  destruction.  Then  came  the  organization  of  the 
Pomona  (Goddess  of  fruits)  Fair,  near  Hopedale;  then  the  Mackinaw 
Fair,  which  became  the  forerunner  of  the  Farmers'  Institute  of  the  Kith 
Congressional  District.  The  Tazewell  County  Agricultural  Board  was 
organized  in  1S79,  with  grounds  located  at  Delavan,  and  regardless  of 
the  usual  vicissitudes  which  form  a  part  of  the  existence  of  every  county 
fair,  still  holds  commendable  annual  exhibits. 

A  secret  organization  was  formed  soon  after  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  War,  composed  of  sympathizers  of  the  states  in  rebellion.  It  was 
named  "Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,"  etc..  The  familiar  title  given 
the  Knights  and  kindred  bodies,  was  "Copperheads."  These  societies, 
had  pledged  themselves  to  harass  the  families  of  the  Union  soldiers 
in  the  field,  thus  causing  desertion  on  the  part  of  the  husband,  father, 
or  son,  so  they  might  be  at  home  to  protect  their  loved  ones,  thereby 
weakening  the  Union  army.  The  Knights,  etc.,  were  also  pledged  to 
liberate  Confederate  prisoners  who  were  confined  in  Northern  prisons. 

To  hold  in  check  these  secret  enemies  of  the  Union  cause,  there 
was  organized,  in  Tazewell  county,  in  ISti'i,  the  first  lodge  of  the 
"Union  League  of  America,"  whose  motto  was  to  do  all  in  its  power 
to  protect  the  families  of  those  in  the  Union  army,  encourage  enlist- 
ments, and  hold  in  check  the  threatened  purposes  of  the  Knights,  etc. 
George  H.  Harlow,  afterwards  Secretary  of  State,  then  a  resident  of 
Pekin,  Illinois,  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  its  organization.  The 
Union  League  soon  had  lodges  in  every  Union  State.  Its  membership 
reached  about  180,000.     It  became  a  great  aid  to  the  Union  cause. 

The  first  marriage  to  take  place  in  the  new  "seat  of  justice,"  was 
that  of  Gilbert  Wright  and  Louise  Vohland,  both  of  Washington,  Taze- 
well county,  the  date  being  March  27,  1916.  Judge  Jas.  M.  Rahn  "tied 
the  nuptial  knot." 

The  first  divorce  granted  in  the  new  court  house,  severing  the  mar- 
ital relation  between  Elnora  S.  and  Fred.  W.  Grover,  occurred  May  Ist, 
1916,  Judge  Theodore  N.  Green,  presiding. 

Tazewell  county  was  represented  in  the  great  war  for  the  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  by 
the  following  numbered  regiments,  to  which  is  added,  in  figures,  the  number  of  Tazewell  county 
men,  as  compiled  from  the  Illinois  Adjutant  General's  Report. 

ILLINOIS  INFANTRY.— The  7th,  102:  8th,  145;  15th,  13;  17th,  20;  18th,  13;  26th,  27;  27th,  6; 
28th,  25;  31st,  44;   32nd.  11:   38th,  32;   44th,  95;  45th,  11;  47th,  228;  49th,  7;  51st,  9;  58th.  21;  61st; 


20  E  a  r  I  y    and     Notable     Events 

20;  62nd,  7:  67th,  10:  58th.  :i2:  73rd.  70;  85th.  88;  86th.  98;  94ih.  38:  100th.  11:  104th.  82:  108th. 
325;  115th,  65;  117th,  7:  139th.  52:  145th,  !);  146th.  45;  148th.  49;  152nd.  88;  154th.  13:  155th,  22; 
56th.  6. -Total.  1967. 

ILLINOJS  CAVALRY.-The  3rd.  81:  consolidated  3rd.  31;  4th.  33:  5th.  7:  6th.  12:  7th.  13: 
8th.  4;  9th.  8;   lOth.  3:  11th.  164;   12th.  6;  14th.  21. -Total.  383. 

MISCELLANEOUS. -Artillery.  5:  20th  U.  S.  Infantry.  11;  First  Army  Corps.  24:  8th  Mo.  In- 
fantry. 47.  To  which  should  be  added  several  hundred  who  enlisted  in  the  Infantry.  Cavalry, 
Artillery  and  Navy,  while  out  of  the  county,  and  were  credited  to  the  place  where  they  enlisted 
or  were  recruited.  It  is  safe  to  chronicle  that  Illinois  and  Tazewell  county  citizens  served  in  every 
State  and  Territory  in  the  Union  — even  including  the  Confederacy. 

SPANISH^AMERICAN  WAR  VETERANS. -About  200  soldiers,  comprising  Co.  "K."  of  Dela- 

van.  and  Co.  "G."  of  Pekin.  as  members  of  the  5th  Illinois  Infantry,  departed  for  Springfield,  the 
rendezvous.  May  27th.  1898.  Co.  "K"  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Watkins.  aided  by  Firsi-Lieut. 
Ball  and  Second-Lieut.  Dickinson.  Co.  "G"  was  led  by  Capt.  E.  L.  Conklin.  aided  by  First-Lieut. 
E.  H.  Mullen  and  Second-Lieut.  W.  W.  Sellers.  All  were  mustered  into  the  U.  S.  service  on  May 
4th.  Under  command  of  Col.  J.  S.  Culver,  they  left  Springfield  for  Chickamauga  Park  Camp,  and 
arrived  there  on  May  17th.  The  regiment,  composed  of  the  flower  of  Central  Illinois  manhood, 
were  twice  disappointed  in  their  eager  willingness  to  meet  the  enemy  on  Cuban  soil.  They 
returned  home  on  Sept.  12th.  1898.  and  were  jubilantly  welcomed. 


HISTORY  OF  TOWNSHIPS. 

Following  the  brief  history  of  each  Townshij}  irill  be  found  the  names 
of  all  citizens,  with  years  they  have  served,  and  are  to  serve,  as  members 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  from  said  Toivnship,  since  1S.50 : 

Fon  dii  Lac  Township— T.  26  IN.  R.  4  Vf. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  State  Constitution  of  Illinois,  adopted  in  1847.  counties  were  privi- 
leged to  adopt  either  "County  Court"  or  "Township  Organization"  form  of  government.  At  an 
election  held  in  1849.  the  latter  plan  was  adopted.  And  the  County  Court  appointed  and  commis- 
sioned Benjamin  S.  Prettyman.  Anson  Gillum  and  John  M.  Coons,  as  commissioners,  to  divide 
Tazewell  County  into  towns  or  townships.  They  began  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county  and 
fixed  the  boundaries  of  the  first  township  as  they  now  are.  naming  it  "Fon  du  Lac." 

Thomas  Camlin.  (the  Daniel  Boone  of  Tazewell  County),  was  an  early  settler  here.  He 
was  not  only  a  great  hunter,  but  a  genial  companion  and  an  inimitable  story-teller.  Among  other 
early  settlers  of  Fondulac.  were  Jesse.  Absalom  and  Jacob  Funk.  Jacob  Wilson.  Jacob  Hepperly. 
Morgan  Buckingham.  Horace  Crocker.  Abraham  Brown  and  Jefferson  Huscham.  (For  map  of 
the  report  of  Commissioners  and  statement  of  early  settlement  see  elsewhere  in  this  compilation.) 

In  section  11.  Fon  du  Lac  township,  there  is  a  mound  which  was  probably  used  by  the  pre-his- 
toric  Mound-builders,  for  remains  have  been  unearthed  that  were  of  giant  size  At  an  early  date 
there  was  found,  in  the  hollow  of  a  mammoth  oak  tree,  growing  on  this  mound,  a  human  skull, 
which  was  held  in  position  by  the  encircling  growth  of  the  tree.  After  its  removal,  it  was  in 
possession  of  a  Dr.  Hazzard  for  several  years,  but  to-day  its  whereabouts  are  unknown. 

The  village  of  Fondulac  was  laid  off  June  20.  1855.  and  Bluetown  April  1.  1864.  East  Peoria 
was  incorporated  July  1st.  1884  as  Hilton,  but  in  1889.  was  changed  to  its  present  title,  and  has 
virtually  absorbed  the  above  named  villages. 

C.  J.  Gibson 1850-53    John  Lorimer 1870-71    Nicholas  Schlagel 1885-87 

Daniel  Trail 1854-57    John  Lorimer  jr 1872        Joseph  Schertz 1888-91 

ThomasCamlin 1858         Samuel  R.  Mooberry 1873-75   J.J.Arnold 1892-1903 

John  Leadley 1859         Jeremiah  Stenger 1876-77    Edward  W.  Tucker .1904-05 

Samuel  R.  Mooberry 1860-65    John  Lorimer 1878         Nicholas  Freis 1906-18 

F.  M.  Wiles 1866         Samuel  R.  Mooberry 1879-80 

T.  B.  Pinkham 1867-69    Joseph  Schertz 1881-84 

Washington  Township— T.  26  ?«.  Rs.  2  and  3  VT. 

Washington  township,  east  of  Fond  du  Lac.  was  so  named  after  the  village  and  postofBce  of 
that  name.  The  first  election  was  held  in  the  district  school-house  in  Washington.  Wm.  Holland 
was  the  first  settler:  he  built  his  log  cabin  home  on  section  24.  about  1820  or  1821.  He  was  an 
expert  gunsmith  and  blacksmith,  and  his  services  were  sought  bv  the  pioneers  both  near  and  far. 
James  McClure.  Joseph  Kelso.  P.  P.  Scott.  A.  M.  North.  Abraham  Wood.  Wm.  Week  and  Wm. 
Burr,  were  among  the  first  settlers.  The  first  log  school-house  was  built  on  section  22.  in  18.33,  and 
a  Mr.  Edmondson  was  the  first  school-master.  The  first  church  was  erected  by  the  Methodist 
society  in  1838.  Wm.  Holland  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  village  of  Washington  was 
laid  off  by  Wm.  Holland.  March  4.  1834     On  March  2nd.  1878.  Washington  became  a  city. 

James  W.  Wather 1850-51    Richard  C.  Dement 1864         Wesley  B.  Harvey,  city.. ,1873-78 

Lawson  Holland 1852-53    John  W.  Daugherty 1865-66    D.  S.  Sheppard 1890-91 

W.  A.  Ross 1854         Benj.  Tobias 1867-68    Christian  Spring 1892-95 

J.  S.  Marsh 1855-58    Richard  D.  Smith 1869         C.  L.  Birkett 1896-1907 

D.  L.  Miles 1859-62    Peter  Filer 1870         M.  C.  Martini 1908-13 

Elias  Wenger 1863         John  H.  Anthony 1871-89    Chris  Strubhar 1914-18 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON 

"the  father  of  his  country." 

from  an  oil  painting  in  the  white  house. 

"First  in  war.  first  in  peace  and  first  in  the 

hearts  of  his  countrymen." 

Born  in  Va..  Feb.  22.  17:i2.     Died  at  Mt.  Vernon. 

Maryland.  Dec.  14,  1799. 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

"the  savior  of  his  country." 
from  an  old  photo  taken  during  the  civil  war. 
"All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be, 
I  owe  to  my  angel  mother." 
Born  in  Kentucky.  Feb.  12.  1809.    Died  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  April  15.  1865. 


GEN.  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 

"unconditional  surrender"   GRANT. 

"we  will   FIGHT   IT  OUT  ON   THIS   LINE  IF   IT  TAKES 

ALL  SUMMER,"  "lET  US  HAVE  PEACE." 

Born  at  Point  Pleasant.  Ohio,  April  27.  1822. 
Died  at  Mt.  Gregor.  N.  Y.,  July  23.  1885. 


GEN.  JOHN  A.  LOGAN 

"black  jack." 

lawyer,  soldier.  author  and  statesman. 

Illinois'  beloved  Union  soldier  and  Comrade. 

Born  at  Brownsville.  111..  Feb.  9.  1826-     Died  at 

Washington,  D.  C.  Dee.  26,  lti86. 


22 


Early     and     Notable     Events 


Deer  Creek  Townshi 


-T.  25.  >-.  R.  2  W. 


The  boundaries  of  Deer  Creek  remain  the  same  as  ihey  were.  The  first  election  took  place  at 
what  was  known  as  the  Monmouth  school-house.  Major  R.  N.  Cullom  is  credited  with  having 
named  this  township  after  the  creek  that  courses  through  it.  He  was  the  first  settler,  locating  in 
1828.  Jas.  Harvey,  Robert  Alexander.  John  Small,  Hugh  Ross  and  six  sons  were  among  the  eariy 
settlers.  Rev.  Wm.  Brown  preached  the  first  sermon.  The  first  death  was  that  of  a  twin  brother 
of  Hon.  Shelby  M.  Cullom,  James  C.  the  infant  son  of  R  N.  Cullom.  The  first  couple  to  marry 
were  Samuel  Watson  and  Miss  Alvira  Perry.  'Squire  Hittle  tying  the  nuptial  knot.  Section  27  con 
tained  the  first  school-house,  in  18:i5.  and  Miss  Nancy  Parker  was  the  first  teacher.  Julia  Cullom 
was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Deer  Creek  township.  Mathew  Kingman  was  the  first  Justice  of 
the  Peace.  The  village  of  Deer  Creek  was  incorporated  September  26th.  1899. 
Richard  N.  Cullom 1850-51    Abraham  Chaffer 1887-68 

Alex.  Small. 1869 

Eri  Bogardus 1870-76 

George  H.  Small 1877-78 

James  Mitchell 1879 

Eri  Bogardus 1880-82 

T.  C.  Stout 1883-84 

James  Mitchell 1885 

T.  C.  Stout 1886-88 

G.  H.  Small 1889 


E.  H.  Durham 1852 

E.  Bogardus 1853 

Edwin  H.  Durham 1854-55 

James  Mitchell 1856-57 

John  Q.  Adams 1858 

Alex.  Small 1859-63 

Eri  Bogardus 1864 

James  Mitchell 1865 

R.  N.  Cullom 1866 


A.  L.  Smith 1890 

G.  W.  Smith 1891-92 

Frank  Field 1893-94 

J.  M.  Butler 1895-1900 

W.  H.  Green 1901-02 

Geo.  H.  Small 1903-06 

F.  L.  Belsley 1907-10 

John  S.  Nixon 1911-17 


Morton  Township— T.  25.  IS.  R.  3  W. 

Morton  township  was  named  in  honor  of  Gov.  Morton,  of  Massachussetts.  The  first  election 
was  held  at  W.  W.  Campbell's.  A  Mr.  Soward  settled  on  Section  31,  about  1826  or  1827.  and  built 
the  first  pioneer  log  cabin.  He  was  soon  followed  by  a  Mr.  Field,  Richard  Rathff,  Mr.  Crosby.  John 
M.  Roberts  and  four  sons.  Rev.  William  Brown  was  the  first  regular  minister.  In  1832,  section  4 
contained  the  first  log  school-house.  Like  nearly  all  pioneer  school-houses,  it  was  used  for  church 
and  town  meeting  purposes.  The  first  Justices  of  the  Peace  were  Joseph  Evans  and  Wm.  Sample. 
The  village  of  Morton  was  laid  off  by  James  M.  Campbell  on  Nov.  12.  18,50.     Organized  in  1887. 

Peter  Sweitzer  has  been  a  continuous  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  over  2i)  years; 
Chairman  about  half  of  that  time,  and  Chairman  of  the  Permanent  Building  Committee  during 
the  entire  time  of  the  construction  of  the  new  court  house  at  Pekin.    He  is  the  Dean  of  the  Board. 

Horace  Clark 1850         Samuel  C.  Smith 1876         Erastus  Roberts 1884 

Joel  W.  Clark 1851-59    John  H.  Crandall 1877  W.  F.  Denne 1885-87 

Anson  Gillum 1860-62    Samuel  C.  Smith 1878  Wm.  Moschel  (resigned)  1888 

Charles  R.  Crandall 1863-66    William  Smith 1879-80    W.A.Moore  (elected  to  Legis- 

Samuel  C.  Smith 1881  '  

Alex.  Mooberry 1882 

A.  W.  Stewart 1883 


Wm.Munroe 1867-71 

Thomas  Cooper 1872-73 

Wm.  A.  Moore 1874-75 


lature) 1889-91 

Peter  Sweitzer 1891-1917 


Groveland  Township— T.  25  N.  R.  4  W. 

James  Scott  was  the  first  settler  in  Groveland  township,  building  his  log  cabin  home  on  Sec- 
tion 33.  in  1827.  Among  other  old  settlers  were  John  O'Brien  and  Mr.  Trimble.  Mr.  O'Brien  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1835,  and  filled  the  office  with  dignity  and  honor  until  1867.  Rev. 
Neele  Johnson  preached  the  first  sermon  in  1834.  The  boundaries  of  this  township  remain  as  lo- 
cated by  the  commissioners.  The  first  election  took  place  at  the  Randolph  house  in  Groveland. 
This  township  took  its  name  from  the  village,  which  was  laid  off  by  Isaac  Roberts  and  Asa  L. 
Davidson.  May  30.  1836. 


George  L.  Parker 1850-51 

Robert  Bradshaw 1852-54 

Charies  G.  Hinman 1855 

C.  S.  Worthington 1856-58 

Robert  Bradshaw 1859 

C.  S.  Worthington 1860-62 

John  L.  Caldwell 1863-64 

F.  H.  Hancock 1865-66 


Benjamin  H.  Harris 1867-71 

J.  W.  Mooberry 1872 

Geo.  Landes 1873-74 

F.  Shurtleff 1875 

Geo.  Landes 1876 

Joel  T.  O'Brien 1877-78 

C.  S.  Worthington 1879 

Henry  Schwartz 1880-82 


Geo.  Landes 1883 

Henry  Schwartz 1884 

Geo.  Landes 1885-98 

Barney  Eisele 1899-1905 

John  Strickfadden 1905-08 

Barney  Eisele 1908-10 

Louis  Rohlfing 1911-17 


Pekin  Township— T.  25  N.  R.  5  W. 

To  Pekin  township,  as  originally  bounded,  has  been  added  sections  one.  two.  three  and  four, 
from  Cincinnati  on  the  south.  For  first-settlers,  and  the  very  first  historical  facts  and  reminis- 
cences, see  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  As  Pekin  embraces  the  major  part  of  the  township  her 
history  is  synonymous  with  that  of  the  township,  At  the  land  sales  in  Springfield,  in  1828.  the 
excitement  over  who  should  possess  such  valuable  property  as  that  encompassed  by  "Town  Site." 
caused  knives  and  pistols  to  be  drawn.  But  the  trouble  was  amicably  adjusted.  Major  M.  Crom- 
well was  at  the  head  of  the  successful  bidders  and  the  purchase  was  divided  into  twelve  parts. 


SUPERVISORS 

AND 

EX-OFFICIO  OVERSEERS 

OF  THE 

POOR  OF  PEKIN  TOWNSHIP. 

Wm.  S.  Maus 1850-Sl 

Jas.  Haines 1851-53 

Wm.  S.  Maus 18S3-67 

Wm.  Don  Maus 1867 

George  Greigg 1867-69 


Peter  Weyhrich 1869-70 

Joshua  Wagenseller 1870-71 

John  Stoltz 1871-73 

George  Greigg 1873-75 

H.  Didcock 1875-76 

Henry  Lautz 1876 

Ernest  Schurman 1876-77 

Henry  Didcock 1877-78 

John  C.  Aydelott 1878-79 

Thomas  R.  Skelly 1879-80 

John  Herget 1880-81 

H.  P.  Weyrich 1881-83 

Wm.  Blenkiron 1883-85 


T.  J.  Edwards 1885-86 

Henry  A.  Reuling 1886-87 

J.  B.  Mohler 1887-88 

C.  B.  Cummings 1888-90 

J.  B.  Cooper 1890-95 

L.  Bergstresser.  resin'd. 1895-98 

F.  T.  Murray 1898-1907 

Henry  Penno 1907-08 

D.  L.  Latham 1908-09 

F.  T.  Murray 1909-10 

D.  L.  Latham 1910-11 

Herbert  S.  Mathews 1911-17 


Early     and     Notable     Events 


23 


ASSISTANT  SUPERVISORS. 

Joshua  Wagenseller 1860 

Peter  Weyhrich 1861-65 

Martin  Stover 1866 

Teis  Smith 1867-70 

John  Herget 1871-72 

Wm.  Don  Maus 1873-74 

John  Herget 1874 

D.  C.  Smith 1874 

H.  Naylor 1874 

Peter  Steinmetz 1873 

Wm.  Don  Maus 1876-77 

C.  B.  Cummings 1876 

Fred  Smith 1876 

J.G.Weber 1876 

C.  B.  Cummings 1878-79 

E.  Schurman 1878-79 

H.W.  Hippen 1878 

I.  Lederer 1879-80 

Richard  D.  Smith 1880 

J.  M.  Gill 1880-81 

August  Winkel 1880-82 

C.  B.  Cummings 1881-87 

David  Wandschneider...l881 


C.A.Becker, 1883-84 

C.  B.  Cummings 1884-87 

J.  B.  Cooper 1884 

August  Winkel 1884 

B.  R.  Hieronvmous 1885 

John  C.  Aydelott 1885 

Henry  Roos 1885-86 

J.  Moenkemoeller 1886 

August  Winkel 1886-87 

Erastus  Rhoades 1887 

Wm.  Weiss 1887-88 

P.  W.  Dunne 1888 

A.  G.  Walker 1888 

A.Behrens 1888 

Herman  Becker 1889 

August  Winkel 1889 

A.  Behrends 1889-92 

Wm.  Weiss 1890-93 

C.  B.  Cummings 1890-91 

Christ.  Arnold 1890-92 

Geo.  Herget 1892 

John  Reuling 1893 

H.  Birkenbusch 1893-96 

E.  F.  Unland 1894 

J.  B  Irwin 1894 


Otto  F.  Wieburg 1894 

Geo.  Herget 1895 

E.  R.  Peyton 1895 

Chas.  F.  Gehrig 1896-1903 

Geo.  Herget 1897-1901 

H.  Birkenbusch 1897-1918 

C.  F.  Holland 1897 

Chas.  F.  Gehrig 1898 

A.  Behrends 1898 

L.J.  Albertsen 1899 

Dan'lSapp 1900 

H.  H.  Cole 1901 

Heilo  J.  Rust 1902-05 

Chas.  Kuecks 1904-05 

Henry  Schwartz 1906-09 

Chas.  F.  Gehrig 1906-07 

Wm.    E.  Schurman,  resigned 

1908-10 

Louis  Luick 1910-11 

R.J.  Neddermann 1910-11 

John  E.  Russell 1912-13 

Geo.  N.  Weber 1912-15 

Henry  G.  Gulon 1914-18 

Louis  Luick 1916 

Fred.  H.  Soldwedel 1916-18 

W. 


Lemuel  Allen 1853-34 

G.  H.  Rupert 1855-37 

Samuel  P.  Bailey 1858 

Samuel  Woodrow 1859 

James  Hawkins 1860-62 

John  W.  Coleman 1863-65 

Jas.  S.  Hawkins 1866 


Philip  S.  Ripper 1894-97 

Ben.  Bailey  (resigned).,,  1898-02 
H.  Lutz  (to  fill  vacancy). 1903-05 

Henry  Lutz 1905-13 

John  Alfs 1914-16 

C.J.  Abbott 1916-18 


Cincinnati  To^'nship — T.  24  N.  R 

The  township  of  Cincinnati,  joining  Pekin  on  the  south,  lost  its  northern  tier  of  sections  by 
assignment  to  Pekin.  thus  bringing  the  spot  where  Jonathan  Tharp  built  his  first  log  cabin  within 
Pekin"s  limits.  The  first  election  was  held  in  Pekin  at  the  "Cincinnati  Hotel,"  Maj.  Perkins, 
Elisha  Perkins,  William  Woodrow.  Hugh  Woodrow,  Samuel  Woodrow,  and  John  Summers,  settled 
in  this  township  as  early  as  1826;  also  Daniel  Rankin  and  brother  about  the  same  time.  The  first 
school-house  was  built  in  the  Summers  and  Woodrow  settlement  not  later  than  1828. 
South  Pekin,  in  this  township,  was  laid  out  July  10  1913. 

Samuel  P.  Bailey 1850-52    Timothy  Larimore 1867-68 

"""~  "■    John  Eidmann 1869-72 

Geo.  Stoehr 1873-78 

John  Eidmann 1879-81 

Geo.  Stoehr  (did  not  qualify)-82 

John  Eidmann 1882-84 

Philip  S.  Ripper 1885-93 

Wm.  Bell  (failed  to  qualify)-94 
Elm  Grove  Township-T.  24  N.  R.  I  W. 
Elm  Grove  township  has  had  no  change  in  boundary.  First  election  held  at  the  school-house 
of  the  same  name.  John  Dillon  was  the  "advance  guard"  of  the  pioneer  settlers,  building  his 
crude  log  cabin  home  as  early  as  1823.  Among  other  early  settlers  were  Hugh  Montgomery,  Alex 
McNight.  Israel  Shreves.  Benj.  Briggs.  James  Scott.  Thornton  Wilson,  Jas.  Wright.  Thos.  Bennett, 
Levi  and  Thos.  Moulton,  John  Lord.  John  and  Eli  Redman.  Rufus  North  and  Alexander  Barnes. 
A  year  or  two  later  came  W.  Davis.  Martin  Miars,  W.  Edds  and  H.  Davis,  the  later  being  the  first 
tanner  in  the  county.  The  first  white  child  born  was  Isabella  Briggs.  The  first  to  depart  this 
life  was  Elizabeth  Wilson.  Jesse  Dillon  built  the  first  school-house  in  1826.  and  Joseph  Dillon 
taught  the  first  school.  The  Quakers  erected  the  first  church  in  the  same  year.  The  Methodists 
did  not  build  their  house  of  worship  until  1842.  The  good  Friend,  Dr.  Griffith,  was  the  pioneer 
physician,  as  well  as  the  first  postmaster. 

Seth  Talbot 1850-55    George  W.  Greeley 1866-67 

John  Dillon 1856         Alfred  E.  Leonard 1868-71 

D.  John  Bennett 1872-80 

J.  W.  Robinson 1881 

George  W.  Greeley 1882 

J.  D.  Ropp 1883 

D.  John  Bennett 1884-85 

Tremont  To^vnship — T.  24  N.  R. 
After  Tremont  township  was  formed,  the  first  election  took  place  at  the  court  house.  James 
Chapman  settled  on  section  16  in  1830.  He  was  soon  followed  by  Wm.  Sterling,  Wm.  and  James 
Broyhill,  Michael  Trout  and  David  Lackland.  Auburn,  a  short  distance  north  of  the  present  Tre- 
mont was  the  first  town  laid  out  in  this  township,  but  after  the  advent  of  the  Tremont  colony  from 
New  York,  in  1834.  it  was  soon  abandoned.  Margaret  E.  Lackland  was  the  first-born.  A  postoffice 
was  established  in  1835.  and  Josiah  James  and  J.  H,  Harris  were  the  head  of  the  colony,  which 
laid  out  the  village,  and  built  a  school  house  and  church.  The  first  postmaster  was  Wm.  Samp- 
son. The  coimty-seat  was  moved  from  Pekin  to  Tremont  in  1836.  then  back  to  Pekin  in  1849. 
Tremont  remained  under  district  control  until  March  11.  1835.  when  it  was  organized  as  a  town. 

R.  W,  Briggs 1850  Edward  Allen 1867  F.  B.  Wilson 1892-93 

John  M.  Bush 1831-52    Stephen  Stout 1868-71    A.  J.  Davis,  resigned 1894-97 

A.J.Davis 1872-73    -    "    -      ■ 

Edward  Pratt 1874 

S.  C.  Hobart 1875-84 

J.  W.  White  (resigned). ,1883-88 

W.O.  McIntyreCaptd.)  ,1888-89 

James  Dean 1890-91 


Daniel  Hodson 1837-58 

Seth  Talbot 1859 

A.  J.  Davis 1860-62 

George  W.  Greeley 1863-64 

Seth  Talbot 1865 


W.  H.  Roof 1886-87 

T,  H.  Leonard 1888-91 

D,  B,  McLean 1892-93 

C.  Hellemann  jr 1894-98 

Edward  Pratt 1899-1900 

B.  L.  Greeley 1901-03 

F.  W.  Hellemann 1906-18 

3  W. 


James  K.  Kellogg 1853-54 

Charles  Emerson 1855 

Chas.  J.  Kellogg 1856-59 

Samuel  R.  Saltonstall..  .1860-62 

Edward  Allen 1863-65 

Peter  Menard 1866 


F.  J.  Davis 1897 

J.  E.  Russell 1898-03 

J.  W.  Baylor 1904 

Wm.  Noonan 1904-06 

E.  L.  Colter 1908-16 

J.  P.  Becker 1916-18 


24 


Early    ci  n  <1     Notable     Eve  n  t  s 


Mackinaw  Township— T.  24  N.  R.  2  W. 

Mackinaw  township  remains  the  same  as  to  original  boundar>'  lines.  In  1827.  A.  Smith  made 
first  settlement  on  section  2;i.  and  built  the  first  log  house.  Among  the  early  settlers  were  Samuel 
Judy,  Mordecai  Mobley,  Elijah  Sargent,  Michael  and  Jonas  Hittle.  William  Hittle  was  the  first 
white  child  born  in  1828.  The  first  death  was  that  of  Abner  Smith,  which  occurred  in  1828. 
The  village  of  Mackinaw  was  laid  off  by  George  Hittle  and  E.  Stout,  May  26th,  1828.  In  1830, 
Conway  Rhodes  and  Miss  Harmon  were  the  first  couple  to  be  joined  in  holy  wedlock.  Jonas 
Hittle  was  made  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1830.  During  this  year  Silas  B.  Curtis  opened  the 
first  school.  Mackinaw  was  the  first  county  seat,  and  the  Commissioners  who  located  the  same, 
were  Job  Fletcher,  Wm.  Lee  D.  Ewing  and  Tom  M.  Neale.  The  name  was  derived  from  an  Indian 
name  of  a  river  that  flows  through  Tazewell  county.  The  first  court  house  was  built  in  1827.  It 
was  18  feet  wide  and  24  feet  long:  one  story  and  a  half  high,  nine  feet  to  the  story;  joint  shingles 
roof;  black  walnut  batton  doors,  well  cased,  two  8x10  inch  twelve  light  windows  in  the  lower  story, 
and  one  four-light  window  in  the  front  end  of  the  half  story;  the  lower  floor  was  made  of  punch- 
eons hewn  and  jointed,  and  the  upper  floor,  whicil  also  became  the  ceiling,  was  of  sawed  plank; 
the  body  of  the  house  was  of  hewn  logs,  chinked  and  daubed,  and  protruding  ends  of  logs  sawed 
off;  the  lower  windows  were  protected  with  wooden  shutters;  a  seven-foot  fire-place  four  logs  high 
afforded  heat  from  the  rear-end  of  the  court  room.  Amasa  Stout  received  the  munificent  sum 
[then]  of  S125  for  building,  he  being  the  lowest  bidder.  This  was  one  of  the  first  buildings  in  Taze- 
well to  have  glass  windows.  It  stood  on  lot  1  block  11.  In  the  early  part  of  1831.  a  14-light  win- 
dow took  the  place  of  the  fire-place  and  a  cast-iron  stove  graced  the  northwest  corner  of  the  court 
room,  and  a  suitable  chimney  was  built  to  carry  olT  the  smoke.  A  stairway  was  built  in  the  north- 
east corner  and  the  half-story  above  divided  into  two  rooms.  Mackinaw  remained  the  county-seat 
until  1831.  when  it  was  moved  to  Pekin. 

The  village  of  Lilly,  in  this  township,  was  laid  off  January  21.  1871.  by  Edward  H.  Bacon, 

Lyman  Porter 1850         Daniel  W.  Puterbaugh    186B         H.  J.  Puterbaugh 1893-94 

Jonas  H.  Hittle 1851-32    Geo.  Miller 1867         J.  C.  Havbarger 1895-96 

David  Judv 1853-56    Solomon  Puterbaugh 1868         H.  J.  Puterbaugh 1897-98 

J.  W.  Brock 1857-58    Geo.  Miller 1869-74    S.  S.  Smith 1899-1915 

Geo,  Miller 1859-65    John  H.  Porter 1875-92    Walter  Porter 1915-17 

Lidle  Mackinaw  Township— T.  23  N.  R.  2   W. 

Little  Mackinaw  township  retains  original  boundary  lines,  and  its  first  election  took  place  at 
a  school-house  on  Mackinaw  creek.  The  first  settlement  was  made  on  section  8.  by  John  and 
Samuel  Stout.  Among  the  pioneers  were  H.  Buchanan  and  a  gentleman  named  Hevenhill.  The 
first  death  was  that  of  an  orphan  child,  in  the  family  of  Samuel  Stout,  in  1827.  The  first  birth 
was  in  the  family  of  Joseph  Stout.  Thos.  F.  Railsback  taught  the  first  school  on  section  5.  in  1830. 
First  sermon  preached  by  Elder  Ottman,  at  Mr.  Railsback's  home,  in  1831.  In  1867,  Elder  Geo.  W. 
Minier,  assisted  by  Messrs.  Boyer  and  Stout,  platted  the  village  of  Minier,  located  on  section  22. 

B.  F.  OrendorlT. 1850         William  Bennett 1870-71    Henry  Imig  (resigned). ..1890-93 

A.  B.  Davis 1851-52    Asa  Hicks 1872-79    B.  N.  Ewing 1894-93 

D.  W.  C.  Orendorff 1853-54    F.  O,  Kilby 1880  " 

L.  J.  Summers 1855-62    Asa  Hicks 1881-82 

Zerah  Munsell 1863         Wm.  Lilly 1883 

John  S.  Briggs 1864-67    B.  N.  Ewing 1884-86 

Rodney  J.  Mitchell 1868-69    Wm.  Bennett 1887-89 

Ilopedale  Township— T.  23  >'.  R.  3  M'. 
Hopedale  township  was  first  named  "Highland,"  For  early  County  map,  see  page  32.  Aaron 
Orendorff.  the  first  settler,  built  a  log  cabin  on  section  34,  in  1827,  Messrs.  Whitten  and  Shaw 
came  next.  D.  W.  Orendorff,  son  of  Aaron,  born  in  1828.  was  the  first  white  child.  Elias  Ogden 
was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in  1829,  commission  signed  by  Gov.  Ford.  The  first  school  was 
held  at  Mr.  A.  Orendorffs  home  in  18:52,  and  a  Mr.  Smith  was  the  first  school  teacher.  The  first 
school-house  was  built  on  section  2  in  1834.  Shiloh  was  the  name  of  the  first  chiu-ch,  and  it  was 
built  about  1835.  Hopedale  was  first  named  Osceola,  but  when  a  postofflce  was  petitioned  for,  the 
department  reported  adversely  because  there  was  another  Osceola  in  Illinois.  The  old  town  was 
laid  off  in  1833,  by  Thos.  Orendorff,  but  the  new  town  was  not  incorporated  until  February  22, 1869. 
The  first  Trustees  of  the  new  town  were  T.  H.  Orendorff,  W.  Neisen,  J.  R.  Ogden  and  E.  Barnum. 

Charles  Holder 1850-53    Adolphus  Russell 1867         E.  T.  Orendorff 1882-85 

EdwardBird 1854         James  R.  Campbell 1868         N.F.Smith  (diedinoflice)-86-88 

Thomas  Orendorff 1855         P.  E.  Davis 1869-70    C.S.  Smith  (flll  vacancy)  1888-89 

Michael  E.  Pomfret 1871  "  "* 

P.  E.  Davis 1872 

G.  P.  Orendorff 1873-75 

.  E.  Davis 1876 


B.  N.  Ewing  (died  in  office)  96-01 
Chris  Haning  (to  fill  vacancy) 
..1901-09 
B.  F.  Quigg 1910-18 


Jesse  Fisher 1856 

Eleazar  Hodson 1857-60 

P.  C.  Davis 1861-62 

Thomas  Orendorff, 1863 

D.  W.  Britton 1864 

Levi  Orendorff. 1865 

Wm.  E.  Pomfret 1866 


E.  T.  Orendorff, 1890-92 

B.  S.  Ford .f 1893-94 

Jolen  Nutty 1895-98 

J.F.Schneider 1899-1912 

P.  Orendorff 1877-78    Adolph  Johnson 1913-17 

J.  Orendorff 1879 


J.  A.  Roach 1880-81 


Dillon  Township-T.  23  N.  R.  4  W. 

Dillon  township's  boundary  remains  as  at  first  located.  Nathan  Dillon,  in  1823,  settled  on 
section  1,  and  erected  a  log-cabin  home,  it  being  the  first  one  built  in  this  township.  Then  came 
Jas.  White,  and  later  the  families  of  Bailey.  Studyvin.  John  and  Jesse  Trowbridge.  Waggoner, 
Moimt,  Crabb.  Kinman.  and  others.  Hannah  Dillon  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  this  town- 
ship. Daniel  Dillon  and  Patsey  Alexander  were  the  first  pair  to  be  wedded.  1823  being  the  year. 
Rev.  Peter  Cartwright  preached  the  first  sermon  in  Wm.  Brown's  log  cabin  home:  and  Jessie  W, 
Fillin,  was  the  first  school  teacher,  in  about  1833.  The  first  school  house  was  built  on  section  2.  in 
1835.  The  first  pioneer  schools  were  held  in  log  cabin  homes  and  churches.  Dillon  village,  first 
named  Liberty,  was  laid  out  June  18  1836. 


GEN.  EDWARD  D.  BAKLK 

"the  silver-tongued." 

lawyer,  statesman  and  soldier. 

Born  in  London,  Eng.,  Feb.  24, 1811.    Killed  at 

Ball's  Bluff,  Va.,  as  Union  General.  Oct.  21, 1861. 


RICHARD  YATES 

"the  war  governor  of  ILLINOIS." 

Born  at  Warsaw,  Ky.,  in  181S.    Died  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  Nov.  27,  1873. 


0^ 


STEPHEN  A.  DOUGLAS 

"the  little  giant." 

teacher,  lawyer  and  statesman. 

Born  April  2.3,  1813,  at  Brandon,  Vt.     Died  June 

3.  1861.  at  Chicago,  111. 


COL.  ROBERT  G.  INGERSOLL 

lawyer,  author,  orator. 

Born  at  Dresden,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  11,  1833.    Died  at 

Dobb's  Ferry,  L   I.,  N.  Y.,  July  21,  1899. 


26" 


E  a  r  I  y     a  n  d     Notable     E  v  e  'n  t 


Nathan  Dillon 1850 

C.  Gill 1851-53 

Nathan  Dillon 1854 

Sherrod  Williams 1855-57 

E.  C.  Hobert 1838 

S.  Williams 1859-60 

H.  C.  Sutton 1861-62 


Ezra  Rector 1863 

John  A.  Reinagle 1864 

Sherrod  Williams 1865 

Jonathan  Schureman.    .1866 

Mathias  Mount .1867-75 

C.  W.  Waltmire 1876 

Mathias  Mount 1877-81 


Daniel  Brown 1882 

John  Fitzgerald 1883-84 

Ralph  Allen 1885-86 

W.  M.  Mount 1887-94 

Stephen  Studyvin 1895-1915 

Frank  E,  Canopy 1915-17 


Sand  Prairie  Township— T.  23  N.  R.  5  W. 

Sand  Prairie,  at  first  had  five-sixths  of  Malone  attached,  and  was  named  "Jefferson."  It  is 
now  six  miles  square.  Elisha  and  Major  Perkins,  (the  latter  was  killed  during  the  Black  Hawk 
War),  were  the  first  pioneer  settlers  who  built  their  crude  cabins  on  section  1.  about  1822.  Among 
other  early  comers  were  Gideon  Hawley.  Thos.  Lander.  John  Vancil.  John  Summers,  and  Mr. 
Shipman.  Wm.  Woodrow.  Isaac  Dillon.  Joseph  Haines.  Daniel  Rankin.  John  Shelton.  Jas.  Reese, 
et.  al..  came  later.  John  Summers  lost  a  son.  and  John  Vancil  a  daughter,  who  died  at  an  early 
date.    The  celebrated  pioneer  preacher.  Peter  Cartwright.  delivered  the  first  sermon  in  John 

Vancirs  log  cabin,  about  1823.     Rev.  Mr.   Carmac.  who  lived  for  several  months  in  a  tent 

near  the  Mackinaw  river,  was  the  first  regular  M.  E.  preacher.  Mrs.  Sarah  Hinkle  was  the  first 
teacher,  and  her  log-cabin  school-house  stood  on  section  17 — date.  1827.  Joseph  Haines  is  credit- 
ed with  erecting  the  first  frame  dwelling  and  barn  in  this  township,  as  well  as  Tazewell  county, 
the  first  in  1829  and  the  latter  in  1831.  The  village  of  Circleville.  in  this  township,  was  laid  off"  by 
Spencer  Field  and  E.  M.  Perkins.  August  7.  1837.  The  village  of  Green  Valley,  was  laid  off  by 
Samuel  Schureman.  October  19.  1872.  and  incorporated  March  11th.  1916. 

W.  J.  Tompson 1850  Moses  R.  Meeker 1870-72    P.  W.  Weyrich 1892-95 

Lewis  Prettyman 1851-55    James  H.  Kilpatrick 1873-74    J.  D.  Philips 1896-1907 

'^      Jesse  Black 1875-77    "         "  '  " 

John  Meyers 1878-82 

Peter  E.  Ripper 1883-87 

A.  Fisher 1888-91 


James  Hamson 1856-64 

Henry  A.  Sweet 1865 

Jonathan  Totten 1866-67 

John  Schaefer 1868-69 


Peter  Urish 1908-13 

W.  F.  Mcintosh,  resind  .1914-15 

JohnT.  Biggs    1915-16 

John  P.  Weyrich 1916-18 


Spring   Lake  Township— Ts.   'Jti  and   24   N.   Rs.   6   and   7   W. 

Spring  Lake  remains  about  the  same  as  originally  laid  out.  It  was  not  settled  upon  as  early  as 
other  townships  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  prejudice  for  sandy  and  swamp  lands.  Joseph  Offutt 
built  the  first  log  cabin  near  the  lake  bearing  the  name  of  the  township,  as  early  as  1839.  The  Mc 
Leashes.  Hibbards  and  Claytons,  came  next;  then  as  the  years  rolled  on.  the  Hawkinses.  Abra- 
ham Wood.  Eli  Haas.  Charles  Seiwell,  Ezekiel  Poe.  Valentine  Haas,  and  others.  The  first  death 
was  that  of  J.  0.  Offutt.  which  occurred  Oct.  10.  1841.  Chas.  Seiwell  and  Deborah  Clayton,  in  1842, 
were  the  first  to  be  joined  in  holy  wedlock.  The  first  school-house  was  built  on  section  11.  in  1849, 
and  Daniel  Hawkins  became  the  first  teacher.  A  Mormon,  named  Woods,  preached  the  first  ser- 
mon at  the  home  of  Mr.  Grover.  Louis  White,  an  early  settler,  said  "one  such  sermon  was  all  a 
square-thinking  man  could  endure."  In  1856.  the  Dutch  Reform  Society  built  the  first  church.  As 
an  incident  of  pioneer  life.  Mrs.  V.  Haas  had  the  unique  experience  of  a  trip  on  board  the  first 
flat-boat,  loaded  with  grain,  that  floated  from  Spring  Lake  to  St.  Louis. 

The  village  of  Spring  Lake  was  laid  off  on  May  15.  1852,  by  Thomas  G.  Conant. 

George  H.  Daniels 1850-51    E.  A.  VanDeusen 1875         J.  C.  VanOstrand  (resigned) 

Elbert  Park 1852-53    Daniel  Sapp 1876-83  1893-98 

S.  F.  Harbaugh 1884-85 

Edward  Bailey 1886 

H.  S.  Marshall  1887-89 

E.  D.  Golden 1890-92 


J.  C.  VanOstrand 1854-65 

Ezekiel  Poe 1866-69 

Edward  Bailey 1870 

Daniel  Sapp 1871-74 


R.G.  Golden 1898.00 

W.  E.  Scott 1901-10 

Geo.  M.  Lowry 1911-14 

W.  H.  Beimfohr 1914-17 


Delavan  Township— T.  22  N.  R.  4  W. 

Delavan  township,  originally  had  portions  of  Boynton  and  Malone  attacted.  During  a 
western  trip,  made  by  Mr.  Jonas  R.  Gale,  as  a  guest  of  Mr.  Wright,  of  Dillon,  in  1836.  he  was  much 
impressed  with  the  beautiful  prairie  land,  and  meeting  Mr.  Edward  C.  Delavan.  at  Tremont,  pro- 
posed to  Mr.  D.  that  a  colony  be  organized  at  Providence.  R.  I.  Mr.  Delavan  acquiesced,  and  an 
organization,  with  a  capital  of  over  $30,000.  was  formed  and  22.000  acres  of  the  land  which  sur- 
rounds the  present  city  of  Delavan.  was  entered.  Under  date  of  Sept.  19.  1836.  the  company  be- 
came a  reality,  with  the  following  list  of  stockholders:  John  Jenks.  James  Brown.  Henry  R.  and 
David  C.  Green.  Samuel  B.  Harris.  Munson  Allen.  V.  N.  Edwards.  Samuel  B..  Daniel  C.  and  Benj. 
F.  Gushing.  Wm.  C.  Cooke.  Jonas  R.  Gale  and  D.  C.  Jenks.  The  land  was  laid  off  in  160-acre  farms, 
with  a  town  lot  300  feet  square  to  go  with  each  farm,  as  a  winter  home-site.  The  farms  were  sold 
at  auction,  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  the  highest  bids  not  exceeding  $1,000.  Henry  R.  Green.  Deacon  L. 
Allen  and  S.  B.  Harris,  were  the  locating  committee  and  Henry  R.  Green,  the  financial  agent.  In 
1837.  the  Delavan  House  was  built,  mostly  from  materials  shipped  from  the  East.  W.  W.  Cross- 
man,  who  had  charge  of  the  construction,  with  his  family,  came  with  the  carpenters.  Mrs.  Cross- 
man  used  to  relate  '  that  it  was  first  dreary  and  lonesome  for  she  did  not  see  a  white  woman  for 
months".  In  1840.  when  Hon.  Ira  B.  Hall  became  landlord  of  the  Delavan  House,  it  became  one 
of  the  noted  hosteiries  between  Peoria.  Pekin  and  Springfield.  The  village  of  Delavan  was  laid 
off  by  Henry  R.  Green.  February  1.  1841;  then  in  1888.  incorporated  as  a  city. 

One  of  the  humorous  features  connected  with  sale  of  the  Delavan  Colony's  land,  was  a  map, 
which  exhibited  a  steamboat  lying  at  the  wharf  (at  the  mill  site).  Locust  Street.    Who  has  one? 


Wm.  W.  Grossman 1850-55 

Ira  B.  Hall 1856 

Henry  R.  Pratt 1857-62 

Henry  R.  Green 1863 

James  H.  McKinstry 1864-65 

H.  L.  Fisher 1866 


Benj.  F.  Orendorfl' 1867-68 

Richard  Holmes 1869-74 

M.  D.  Beecher 1875 

Richard  Holmes 1876-80 

W.  R.  Baldwin 1881-88 

Wm.  H.  Ambrose 1889-92 


C.  W.  Hopkins 1893-94 

Wm.  Moorehead 1895 

C.  W.  Hopkins 1896-1900 

J.  0.  Jones 1901-15 

Eugene  Orndorff 1915-17 


E  a  r  I  }i     and     Notable     Events 


27 


-T.  22  N.  R. 


W. 


Ililtle  Towiiship- 

This  township  was  named  "Union'  by  tlie  Commmissioners.  then  by  the  Board  of  Supervigors 
changed  to  "Waterford"— then  to  "Armington.'  and  finally  to  '  Hittle.  '  all  during  the  year  185U. 
The  first  settlers  locating  herein,  in  1826.  were  George  Hittle,  (after  whom  the  township 
derived  its  name),  his  son  Jonas,  and  son-in-law.  John  W.  Judy.  Then  came  the  Hainlines  and 
Wm.  Bart.  Messrs.  Perry  and  Williamson,  in  1827.  and  Wm.  Hienmyinus  in  1828:  then  between 
the  latter  date  and  18.i5.  Messrs.  Jacob  Albright,  Joseph  Richmond.  Martin  G   Stafford.  Thomas 

Burt    and Quisenbury.     Eliza  Jane  Hittle  was  the  first  child  horn.  May  21).  1829     John  Hittle 

died  on  Sept   1    1827.    The  first  couple  married  were  Wm.  Hefferd  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Perry,  date 
1828     Rev  Mr   Walker  preached  the  first  sermon  at  George  Hittles  home,  in  182b.    C.  bwing.  in 
1827  taught  the  first  school,  on  section  Iti.    Isham  Wright  became  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
The  village  of  Armington.  in  this  township,  was  platted  Aug.  7.  18S5.  by  H.  Armington. 

Heseliiah  Armington 18Sn         Peter  Paiigh 1872-73    E.  E.  Darnell  (to  fillvacancy)-88 

David  Hainline 1851-53    Lorenzo  Hainline 1874         Jonathan  Merriam l?;?-a7 

John  H.  Burt 1875-76 

John  Q-  Darnell 1877 

John  H.  Burt 1878 

John  Q.  Darnell 187S-82 

D.  S.  Dempsey 1883-84 


R.  B,  Marley 1854 

David  Hainline 1855-57 

Ellis  Dillon 1858 

S.  K.  Hatfield 1859-60 

Jonathan  Merriam 1861-62 


J.  M.Guy 1898-99 

S.  B.  Hainline 1900-01 

Mathias  Kampf 1902-09 

Frank  Patterson 1910-11 

D.  M.  Kampf 1912-13 

F.  M.  Patterson 1914-18 


George  N.  Bryson 1863-69    John  Q.  Darnell  (died  in  office) 

L.  M.  Stroud 1870-71  1885-88 

Boynton  Township-T.  22  N.  R.  3  W. 

Boynton  township  was  not  organized  until  1854.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  Mr.  Boynton.  Joe 
Grant  (or  Grout)  made  the  first  settlement  on  section  9.  in  1839.  Albert,  son  of  Robert  Houston, 
was  the  first  white  child  born.  (1842).  Among  other  settlers,  prior  to  18.52.  we  hnd  Benjamin  Koe. 
G.  W.  Clamon  (or  Clarnow).  Samuel  Faylor.  John  Blair.  Andrew  herr.  Wm.  Benton.  Wm  Mllner. 
Charles  and  Richard  Holden.  John  T.  Scares.  Wm.  and  Peyton  Alexander  and  John  Jacobus.  Ihe 
first  Justice  of  the  Peace  was  John  Houston.  Ira  Judy  became  the  first  Constable.  Ihe  first 
school  was  held  at  Philip  B.  Ware's  residence,  section  21.  in  1854.  and  a  Mr.  Phillips  was  tne 
teacher.  The  first  marriage  took  place  in  1852.  the  contracting  couple  being  J.  T.  Morgan  and 
Miss  Kitchell. 

John  N.  Snedeker 1866 

Wm.  Slaughter 1867 

John  Reardon 1868-69 

Wm.  Slaughter 1870-72 

John  F.  Beezley 1873 

Wm.  Morehead 1874 

John  F.  Beezley 1875-78 

Jacob  Brennemann 1879-86 

J.  J.  Unsicker 1887-92 


E.  C.  Brennemann 1892-94 

John  Steiger 1895-98 

Henry  Curtis 1899-1902 

R.  A.  Brawner,  resigned. .1903-06 

John  Steiger 1906 

John  Betzelberger 1907-10 

Wm.  Curtis 1911-12 

C.C.  Reardon 1913-17 


Philo  Baldwin 1854 

R.  B.  Marley 1855-56 

Andrew  Kerr (resigned) 

Stephen  K.  Hatfield 1857-58 

Ellis  Dillon 1859 

Wm.  Lafever 1860-62 

Ellis  Dillon 1863 

R.  B.  Marley 1864 

John  Shurts 1865 

Malone  Township — T.  22  N.  R.  5  "W, 

The  first  settlers  of  Malone  township,  came  as  late  as  1850.  owing  no  doubt  to  the  fact  that 
much  of  the  land  was  unfit  for  cultivation-"sand  hillsand  swamp."  They  were  Silas  Dowd.Eber 
Pugh  James  McCoy.  James  and  John  Wilson.  Dr.  Hubbard  S.  Latham  and  son.  Wm.  P  Latham, 
(the  Lathams,  father  and  son,  were  among  the  '49-ers,  direct  from  the  California  gold-fields). 
Joseph  Watts.  Wm.  Buyer,  and  others.  The  first  marriage  in  1850  was  that  of  Frances  M.  Grlffln 
to  a  Miss  McCoy,  daughter  of  James  McCoy.  The  first  school-master  was  Mr.  A.  Kernman.  Kev. 
Samuel  Smith  was  one  of  the  first  preachers.  Dr.  H.  S.  Latham  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  his  son.  H.  S.  Jr..  the  first  Constable.  Even  as  late  as  the  organization  of  this  township,  deer 
and  feathered  game  were  plentiful,  and  the  numerous  wolfs  kept  the  settlers  alert.  Malone  was 
the  last  township  created.  Since  then,  over  ten  thousand  acres  have  been  drained,  and  are  now 
classed  among  the  most  productive  in  the  county.  ...  ■, 

On  Friday.  July  30.  1897.  at  about  7  o'clock  P.  M..  a  tornado  struck  and  crushed  the  residence 
of  Supervisor  H.  C.  McDowell,  in  this  township,  killing  Mr.  H.  C,  and  a  nephew.  H.  E.  McDowell. 
Mrs  Samuel  Brownlee  and  two  children,  and  Miss  Jessie  Groves,  and  injuring  Mrs,  H.  C.  McDow- 
ell. Charles  and  Mary,  son  and  daughter.  Among  the  unprecedented  features  of  this  tornado  was 
the  driving  of  wheat  straws,  like  nails,  into  trees:  stripping  feathers  from  chickens;  tearing  eyes 
out  of  horses:  lifting  a  drove  of  sheep,  which  were  carried  to  "parts  unknown."  This  was  the 
most  destructive  and  death-dealing  storm  that  has  ever  visited  Tazewell  County. 

Wm.  P.  Latham 1854-58     E.  D.  Worstall 1882         T.  J.  Barton 1893-95 

James  Wilson 1859  J.  F.  Barton 1883  H.  C.  McDowell  (died  in  office) 

H.S.Latham,  (died  in  office)..    E.  D.  Worstall 1884  _,.. 1896-97 

1860-64    J.  C.  Drake 1885-86    John  McDowell  (to fill  vacancy) 

D.  L.  Latham  (resigned)  1887-89 
W.  P.  Latham  (to  fill  vacancy) 

1889 

Wm.Boyer 1889 

John  M.  McDowell 1890-91 

E.  D.  Worstall    (died  in  office) 
1892-93 


Wm.  D.  Cleveland,  (to  fill  va- 
cancy)    1864-67 

Wm.  E.  McDowell 1868 

James  K.  Pugh 1869 

J.  M.  Wilson 1870-72 

Wm.  E.  McDowell 1873-74 

John  Cline 1875-77 

James  K.  Pugh 1878-81 


1897 

W.H.  Worstall 1898-99 

JohnKuszmaul 1900-01 

T.J.  Watts 1902-05 

John  T.  Biggs 1906-07 

James  M.  Worstall 1908-16 

Walter  Frazee 1916-18 


TAZEWELL  COUNTY   OFFICIALS. 


Joel  W.Clark 1860 

M.  Tackaberry 1861 

Wni.  Don  Maus 18fi2 

David  Kyes 1865 


Mordecai  Mobley 1827-28 

John  C.  Morgan 1828-36 

John  H.  Morrison 18:i6-47 

William  Cromwell 1847-49 

Richard  W.  Ireland 1849-53 


Mordecai  Mobley 1827-28 

John  C.  Morgan 1828-34 

Edward  Jones 1834 

John  A.  Jones 1842-56 

Merrill  C.  Young 1856-60 


Charles  Turner 1860-64 

C.A.  Roberts 1864-68 

Cassius  G.  Whitney 1868-72 

W.  F.  Henry 1872-76 


John  Benson 1827-29 

Abraham  Carlock 1829-30 

Philip  B.  Miles 1830 

Anson  Demming 1830-32 

Benjamin  Doolittle 1832 

George  W.  Miles 1832-33 

Thomas  Snell 1833-35 

Benjamin  Briggs  1835-36 

Davis  Travis 1836-37 

Benjamin  Briggs 1837-39 


Wm.  H.  Hodge 1827-30 

Philip  B.  Miles 1830-32 

James  Scott 1832-35 

Alfred  Phillips 1835-36 

Wm.  A.  Tinney 1836-40 

Benjamin  Briggs 1840-44 

Robert  W.  Briggs 1844-48 

R.T.Gill 1848-50 

Wm.  Gaither 1850-52 

David  Kyes 1852-54 


Thomas  Orendorff 1827 

Thomas  Dillon 1828 

Nathan  Dilion 1829 

Timothy  B.  Hoblet 1830 

Isaac  Baker 1830 

Benjamin  Briggs 1831 

William  Holland 1831 

David  H.  Holcomb 1831 

Andrew  Tharp 1832 

John  A.  Broyhill 1839-42 


Wm.  H.  Hodge 1827-31 

Park  Woodrow 1832 

Lewis  Prettyman...  1833 

Thomas  C.  Wilson 1836 

Lewis  Prettyman 1840 

Wm.  Mooberry 1843 

Jesse  A.  Nason 1848-53 


COUNTY  JUDGES. 

Alfred  W.  Rodecker 1877-8G 

George  C.  Rider 1886-94 

Wm.  R.  Curran 1894-98 

George  C.  Rider 1898-1902 

COUNTY  CLERKS. 

JohnGridley 1853-65 

William  W.  Clemens 1865-69 

Richard  D.  Smith 1869-77 

Flavel  Shurtleff 1877-86 

Louis  Schurman 1886-90 

CIRCUIT   CLERKS. 

George  H.  Harlow 1860-64 

Henry  P.  Finigan 1864-68 

Wm.  P.  Allensworth 1868-72 

Simeon  R.  Drake 1872-76 

Henry  C.  Sutton 1876-84 

STATE'S  ATTORNEYS. 

Wm.  L.  Prettyman 1876-80 

Edward  Reardon 1880-84 

Wm.  L.  Prettyman 1884-88 

G.  F.  Saltonstall 1888-96 

COUNTY  TREASURERS. 

James  Wibray 1839-43 

A.  B.  Davis 1843-49 

James  R.  Babcock 1849-60 

Wm.  S.  Maus 1860-61 

Peter  Weyrich 1861-65 

Charles  Turner 1865-67 

John  Gridley 1867 

Samuel  E.  Barber 18B7-69 

Wm,  Gaither 1869-73 

Thomas  Cooper,  regi'nd. 1873-85 

SHERIFFS. 

Thomas  C.  Reeves 1854-56 

Chapman  Williamson..  ,1856-58 

Thomas  C.  Reeves 1858-60 

Chapman  Williamson.  ,1860-62 

James  S.  Hawkins 1862-64 

James  Hamson 1864-66 

Jonathan  H.  Meyers 1866-68 

Edward  Pratt 1868-70 

Thomas  C.  Reeves 1870-74 

Edward  Pratt 1874-78 

CORONERS . 

Nathan  B.  Kellogg 1842-48 

David  Bailey 1848-52 

Joseph  B.  Worley 1852-54 

David  M.  Bailey 1854-56 

Wm.  A.  Tinney 1856-60 

John  Wildhack 1860-62 

Henry  Sage 1862-64 

Wm.  Diviney 1864-G8 

A.  Culver 1868-70 

John  M.  Tinney 1870-74 

SURVEYORS. 

Thomas  King.  Jr 1853-61 

Wm.  R.  Kellogg 1861 

Wm.  D.  Cleveland 1863 

Leander  King 1865-71 

B.  C.  Smith 1871-73 

J.  L.  Hayward..  ,. 1873-75 

Leander  King 1875-84 


Jesse  Black.  Jr 1902-10 

James  M.  Rahn 1910-18 


Adolph  Fehrman 1890-98 

Lot  Bergstresser 1898-1906 

Fred.  L.  Bergstresser 1906-10 

Geo.  Behrens 1910-18 


John  Fitzgerald 1884-92 

A.  L.  Champion 1892-1900 

R.  V.  Howe 1900-08 

E.  L.  Meyers 1008-12 

CO.  Myers 1912-16 


Geo.  W.  Cunningham  ,1896-1904 

Charles  Schaefer 1904-08 

Wm.  J.  Reardon 1908-16 


T.  T.  Heaton,  fill  vacancy  1885-86 

Daniel  Sapp 1886-90 

Henry  Schwartz 1890-94 

Charles  S.  Wood 1894-98 

Geo.  W.  Cress 1898-1902 

John  E.  Russell 1902-06 

Edw.  J.  Kraeger 1906-10 

Wm.  E.  Schurman 1910-14 

Geo.  M.  Lowry 1914-18 


A.  J. Kinsey,  died  inofflce  1878-84 

S.  D.  Kinsey 1884-86 

Louis  Stalter 1886-90 

J.  C.  Friederich 1890-94 

John  E.  Stout 1894-98 

John  D.  Mount 1898-1902 

Robert  Clay 1902-06 

J.  A.  Norris 1906-10 

C.  A.  Fluegel 1910-14 

J.  L.  Wilson 1914-18 


Henry  Gulon 1874-78 

Albert  R.  Warren 1878-82 

Charles  Young 1882-84 

W.  T.  Griffith,  resigned...l884 

Richard  Charlton 1884-92 

Harrv  V.  Bailey 1892-1900 

Nathan  Holmes 1900-04 

J.  M.  Coleman 1904-08 

Wm.  Niergarth 1908-12 

E.  F.  Masen 1912-16 


Wm.  D.  Oswald 1884-96 

Dede  H.  Jansen 1896-1900 

John  R.  Seibert 1900-04 

Robt.  P.  VanDeusen 1904-12 

Ben.  F.  Smith 1912-16 


SCHOOL  COMMISSIONERS. 

John  M.  Bush 1846-48    Lemuel  Allen 1850-60  Note.  —  Name  changed  to 

James  Haines 1848-50    John  W.  Moreland 1860-64    Superintendent  of  Schools. 

SUPERINTENDENTS  OF   SCHOOLS. 
Stephen  K.  Hatfield 1865-7.3    David  B.  Pittsford 1886-94     Wm.  P.  Mavity 1898-1906 


M.E.  Pomfret 1873-77    Wm,  R,  Lackland,  resd  1894-95 

Benj.  C.  Allensworth 1877-86    John  L.  Boling 1895-98 


A.  M.  Wells 1906-10 

Ben  L.  Smith 1910-18 


PIONEER  COURTS  IN  TAZEWELL  COUNTY. 

The  first  Probate  Court  was  held  in  Mackinaw,  April  ir)th,  1827, 
Mordeoai    Mobley,    presiding. 

For  the  names  of  the  County  Court  Judges,  see  page  under  heading 
of  Tazewell  County  Officials. 

The  first  Circuit  Court  held  at  Mackinaw,  was  on  May  12th,  1S2S, 
Samuel  D.  Lockwood  was  the  presiding  judge.  In  1831,  the  county-seat 
was  moved  to  Pekin,  and  Judge  Lockwood  opened  court  in  the  Snell 
school  house.     In  ls:u\,  the  county-seat  was  transfered  to  Tremont. 

The  following  named  Tazewellcounty  attorneys  were  elected  Judges 
of  the  Circuit  Court:  James  Harriott,  Charles  Turner,  Nathaniel  W. 
Green  and  Theodore  N.  Green. 


IN  MEMORIA. 

Names  of  attorneys-at-law  who  have  resided  in  Tazewell  county-or  practiced-in  her 
courts  since  1827,  but  have  joined  the  Bar  where  all  are  received  according  to  their  deeds: 
Abraham  Lincoln.  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  James  Shields,  Robert  G.  IngersoU.  Edward  D.  Baker, 
David  Davis.  Samuel  D.  Lockwood,  James  Harriott,  Edward  Jones,  James  Roberts,  Joseph  M. 
Hanna  Charles  Ballance,  Wm.  B.  Parker,  Edward  Parker,  Richard  W.  Ireland,  N.  P.  Bailey, 
George  Farquier  John  T.  Stewart,  Daniel  Stone,  Thomas  Neal,  Gov.  Hubbard,  Samuel  Treat, 
John  J  Hardin,  James  McDougall,  Judge  Dummer,  Slephn  T.  Logan,  Alexander  Herring. 
Joshua  Morgan,  Neill  Johnson,  Palmer  Holmes,  John  M.  Bush,  Joel  W.  Clark,  M.  Tackaberry, 
A  L  Davidson,  N.  H.  Purple,  0.  H.  Merryman,  David  Prickett.  Benjamin  F.  James, 
W  D  Briggs  Samuel  W.  Fuller,  A.  Gridley,  William  Holmes,  Clifton  Moore,  Henry  P.  Finnigan, 
Richard  Williams,  Joseph  Mclntire,  C.  H.  Goodrich,  William  H.  Leonard,  S.  L.  Richmond,  Wm. 
S  Stanberry  B  F  Baker,  T.  J.  Farnham,  A.  W.  Bull,  Wilmot  Turley,  A.  Mendoll,  Chas.  Parker, 
Sherrod  Williams,  Isaac  Holland,  Chas.  Vatterlin,  P.  E.  Davis,  William  Shannon,  Joseph  Mark, 
Thomas  Birkett,  Enos  Nichols,  William  Furgeson,  A.  H.  Saltonsiall,  William  Allen.  Hamilton 
Saltonstall,  G.  S.  Gibson,  A.  L.  Davidson,  E.  B.  Glass,  Matthew  Graig,  Elias  Brearley,  Cash.  G. 
Whitney.  Wm.  B.  Tinney,  Jerome  Gilman,  Alfred  J.  Ware,  M.  D.  Beecher,  S.  D.  Puterbaugh, 
Wm  Edwards,  David  Kyes,  John  B.  Cohrs.  Benj.  S.  Prettyman.  C.  A.  Roberts,  Chas.  Turner, 
J  W  Dougherty,  Nathaniel  W.  Green,  Wm.  Don  Maus,  Henry  McLaughlin,  Abial  B.  Sawyer, 
Mark  M.  Bassett.  C.  J.  Elliott,  Thos.  Mehan,  Frank  Purple.  Gurdon  F.  Saltonstall,  Alfred  W. 
Rodecker,  James  Haines,  sr.,  George  B.  Foster,  H.  M.  Gillmore,  Michael  D.  Conaghan,  Ben. 
HofT,  jr.,   P.  A.  Bergen,  et.  al. 


TAZEWKLL  COITNTY    BAR  ASSOCIATION 

Organized  March  26th,  1901. 

TAZEWELL  LAW  LIBRARY 

Library  open  to  members  daily  except  Sunday.      Room  in  Court  House,  third  floor. 

OFFICERS. 

President  Charles  Schaefer    I    Third  Vice-President Ernest  A.  Rich 

First  Vice-President John  T,  Elliff       Secretary Con  L.  Conder 

Second  Vice-President Henry  P.  Jones    I    Treasurer Wm.  S.  Prettyman 


Black.  Edward  E. 
Black,  Jesse  Jr.... 
Brecher.  George  F. 

Clay,   Henry 

Conder,  Con  L 

Cooney.  Wm.  B.... 
Culbertson,  John  Jr. 


MEHBERS  OF   BAR. 

Dunkelberg.  Ferdinand C Rich,  Albert  R 

Elliff,  John  T ,  Rider,  George  C 

Frings,  HermanC '  Russell,  Rayburn  L.. 

Jones,  Henry  P Powers,  James  M 

Jones,  James  O St.  Cerny,  James  P,. 

Marrs.  Edw.  D ,  Schaefer,  Charles 

Potts,  Wm.  A Smith,  Ben.  L.. 


Cunningham.  Geo.  W Prettyman,  Wm.  L |  Smith.  TN.. 

Cunningham,  Eugene  S 

Cunningham,  WalterG 

Curran,  Wm.  R 

Danforth,  Asa 

Dempsey,  Ralph 


Prettyman,  Wm.  S Smith,  Orville  A........ 

Rahn.  James  M Spoonhoff,  Henry  F.... 

Reardon,  Edward Velde,  Franklin  L 

Reardon,  Wm.  J I  VonTobel,  Walter  R.. 

Rich,  Ernest  A 1  Wilkins,  Frank  J 


ATTtlRNEYS   WHO   HAVE   REMOVED   TO  ISEW  FIELDS  OF  LABOR. 

Hon.  Joseph  V.  Graff.  Peoria,  III.:  W.  H.  Ambrose,  Chicago,  111.:  Eugene  S.  Cunningham,  Phoenix, 
Arizona;  David  F.  Lawley,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.:  Charles  A.  Waltmire,  Punta  Gorda,  Florida;  Asa 
Danforth  and  Wm.  S.  Kellogg.  Peoria.  III.;  John  D.  Clark,  and  Wm.  S.  Holmes,  Lffingham,  111.: 
Carl  F.  Mohr.  Rockford,  111.,  and  many  others. 


CONTENTS  OF  CORNER  STONE. 


The  Corner-Sione  o-f  ihe  new  Tazew^ell  County  Court   House,  at  Pekiii,  Illinois* 
contains  the  following  IVIeiuentos  of  Taze^'ell  County*  Past  and  Present. 

Contents  of  Corner-stone  Box  assembled  by   Win.  H.  Bates. 
Copper  corner-stone  box  donated   by  Jaeckel  *fi:  Sons^  sheet-metal  workers,  Pekin,  Illinois. 

Manuscript  of  the  addresses  delivered  by  Hon.  Wm.  R.  Curran,  and  Pres.  J.  O.  Jones,  at 
the  exercises  incident  to  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone. 

A  brief  history  of  important  events  pertaining  to  Tazewell  county,  from  the  building  of 
Fort  Creve  Coevr,  (on  the  hill  above  Wesley  City,)  by  La  Salle  and  followers,  in  1680,  to  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War,  in  Is65.  Also  short  histories  of  the  nineteen  Townships  of  Tazewell 
county,  trom  their  organization  up  to  1850,  by  W .  H.  Bates. 

A  copy  of  tlie  Tazewell  County  Directory,  for  1914,  by  John  A.  White,  containing  the  names 
of  the  business  men  and  leading  farmers  of  Tazewell  county.  Illinois. 

The  Pekin  City  Directory,  for  1914,  by  W.  H.  Bates,  which  contains  the  names  of  residents 
over  18  years  of  age,  of  the  city  of  Pekin.  the  four  Pekin  Rural  Routes  and  the  new  suburb. 
South  P'ekin. 

Photographic  groups  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Tazewell  county;  County  Officers  of 
Tazewell  County,  and  Tazewell  County  Bar  Association,  by  H.  H.  Cole,  photographer. 

Year  Book,  for  1914.  compiled  by  fieo.  Behrens,  County  Clerk. 

Bar  Docket,  May  term,  1914.  of  the  la.st  Tazewell  County  Circuit  Court  held  in  the  old 
Court  House.  Judge  Theodore  N.  tireen.  presiding.  The  docket  containes  the  names  of  the 
Tazewell  County  Bar  Association,  List  of  Grand  Jurors,  etc.  Issued  from  the  office  of  C.  O. 
Myers,  Circuit  Clerk. 

A  photo  of  the  "Lincoln-Douglas  Lodge."  erected  by  H.  H.  Cole,  at  Tuscarora.  Peoria 
county.  111.,  from  material  taken  from  the  old  Tazewell  County  court  house.  Also  a  copy  of 
Cole's  Historical  Picture  Uallery  of  the  Pioneers  of  Tazewell  County,  containing  1,000  cabinet 
pictures  of  old  settlers  of  this  county,  with  names  alphabetically  arranged  and  numbered. 

Late  statements  of  the  three  National  Banks,  of  Pekin.  III. 

A  penholder,  made  from  piece  of  olfl  court  house,  by  Benj.  Mollet. 

A  souvenir  edition  of  Pekin's  Great  Street  Fair,  in  1S99,  containing  a  History  of  Fairs  dat- 
ing back  to  121  years  before  the  Christian  Era.  Also  a  copy  of  Pekin's  second  Street  Fair  Sou- 
venir, illustrated. 

The  Fourth  of  July  Souvenir,  published  by  the  Pekin  Order  of  Owls  for  the  National  holi- 
day of  1914,  containing  pictures  and  brief  histories  of  George  Washington  and  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, W.  H,  Bates,  editor  and  publisher. 

A  copy  of  Shade's  Monthly,  Pekin's  pioneer  magazine,  published  by  John  H.  Shade,  under 
date  of  May,  1913,  containing  a  history  of  Pekin  and  Vicinity  in  Early  Times,  by  W.  H.  Bates. 

Fkirly  days  in  Itlinois — an  address  by  Hon.  James  Haines,  delivered  at  the  dedication  of  the 
Old  Settlers'  Society,  of  Tazewell  county,  on  the  Fair  grounds,  at  Delavan,  111.,  189U.  Also  a 
photograph  of  Mr.  Haines,  taken  in  1868. 

Copies  of  five  designs  of  ruled  note  paper,  embellished  in  patriotic  colors,  such  as  were  used 
during  the  Civil  War,  from  1861  to  1865. 

A  photograph  of  Seth  Kinman.  a  pioneer  of  Tazewell  county,  and  a  great  hunter  and  trap- 
per. Also  a  picture  of  the  elk-horn  chair  he  made  and  presented  to  Abraham  Lincoln.  Mr. 
Kinman,  in  pioneer  days,  was  proprietor  of  a  hotel  and  ten-pin  alley  in  Pekin.  He  was  cred- 
ited with  being  a  great  "fiddler''  in  early  times. 

A  photo  of  the  old  court  house,  taken  May  21. 1914.  by  H.  R.  Dunnington,  Deputy  Circuit 
Clerk.  Pekin,  111.,  just  prior  to  its  demolishment  V>v  wreckers. 

Photographs  of  the  falling  walls  and  ruins  of  the  old  court  house,  taken  by  Harry  Dittmer, 
Pekin,  lU. 

Among  the  pioneer  publications  in  Tazewell  county  which  had  been  preserved  in  the  Cir- 
cuit Clerk's  office,  and  others  collected  by  W.  H.  Bates  during  the  last  tiity  years,  are  the  fol- 
lowing: 

The  Tazewell  Reporter,  Vol.  2  No.  5  under  date  of  Pekin.  Ill,  June  9, 1841.  By  Thos.  J.  Pickett. 
Politics,  Whig. 

The  Tazewell  County  Whig,  Vol.  1,  No.  10.  dated  Tremont,  111.,  June  19.  1844.  By  E.  (.)liver 
Woodcock.     Politics,  Whig. 

The  Pekin   Weekly   Visitor  Vol.  1   No.  31,  dated  Sept.  27.  1845. 

The  Tazewell  Whig  and  The  Pekin  Commercial  Advertiser,  Pekin,  111..  February  11,  1848.  By 
G.  Lawrence  and  F.  L.  Khoads.     Whig  in  Politics. 

The  Tazetvell  Mirror,  Pekin.  111.,  August.  4,  1849.  By  John  Smith.  On  August  29.  1S51. 
Bernard  Bailev,  became  editor  and  proprietor.  On  May  21.  1852.  John  Smith  and  A.  Hender- 
son appear  as  proprietors.  Then  on  May  20.  1853.  John  Smith  is  shown  as  sole  proprietor  of 
the  Mirror.  This  paper  in  1860  became  The  Tazewell  County  Republican,  then  tlie  Pekin  Post  and 
finally  died  as  the  Pekin  Post-Tribune. 

The  Illinois  Reveille,  Pekin.  III..  December  14.  1850.  Schoaf  &  Rogers,  editors  and  proprie- 
tors. This  was  apparently  the  first  Democratic  paper  published  in  Pekin,  the  new  county 
seat  of  Tazewell. 

Pekin  Plaindealer,  Pekin.  111.,  dated  April  3.  1856.  By  Merrill  C.  Young,  editor  and  proprie- 
tor. Democratic.  This  paper  succeeded  the  Reveille,  then  the  Plaindealir  was  succeeded  by 
The  Tazewell  Register  and   sold  by  Pickett  to  John  McDonald  in  13.58.  who  remained  at  the 


Contents    of   Cornerstone    and    Program        31 

helm  until  1S6S.  A  copy  of  February  4,  18S2,  enclosed.  The  Tazewell  Register  had  the  usual 
vnru-.jTiitnl  experience,  until  purchased  hy  W.  T.  Dowdall  and  .1.  B.  Irwin.  The  latter  soon 
.suiii'idi-d  Dowdall  and  changed  the  name  to  The  Pekin  Times.  In  18.S.1,  A.  W.  Rodecker  F 
Shurllcll,  Thos.  Cooper  and  B.  C.  Alleuworth,  purcha.sed  Tlie  Times.  Allensworth  and  Cooper 
soon  retired,  and  Rodecker  and  Shurtlert',  became  sole  owners,  .shurtleffthen  sold  his  inter- 
est to  Rodecker,  who  continued  its  head  until  a  year  prior  to  his  death,  when  it  was  purchased 
by  the  present  owners. 

Also  copies  of  the  present-day  city  and  county  newspapers,  as  follows: 
The  Pekin  Daily  Times,  published  by  the  Tinies  Publishing  Co,,  (inc.),  B.  C.  Allensworth 
editor  and  manager.     (See  history  above.) 

The  Freie-Presse,  Pekin,  III.,  Nov.  12,  1914,  by  .Jacob  Schmidt.  This  German  Weekly  was 
started  by  John  W.  Hoflnian.  in  1876.  Hoffman  sold  to  Albert  Weiss,  in  1S82,  who  in  turn  sold 
to  Hchnn'dt  on  .January  I,  1914. 

The  Post-News,  Washington,  III.,  Nov.  12,  1914,  by  Paul  R.  Goddard,  editor.  Washinirton 
Prmtmg  Co.,  publishers. 

TH-Counly  Times.  Delavan,  III.,  Nov.  11,  1914,  by  H.  S.  Beatty.  editor  and  publisher 
The  Times  Review,  Hopedale,  111.,  Nov.  12,  1914,  by   Elwood  M.  Garlick,  editor  and  pub- 
lisher. 

The  Enterprise-Oazetle,  Mackinaw,  111.,  Nov.  12.  1914,  by  Geo.  C.  Cramer  and  O  M  Lay- 
ten,  editors  and  publishers. 

The  Advertiser,  Delavan,  111  ,  Nov,  12,  1914,  bv  F.  C.  McKee,  editor  and  publisher 
The  News,  Minier,  111.,  Nov.  13,  1914,  by  Crihlield  Brothers,  editors  and  publishers 
The  News,  Morton,  111.,  Nov.  12,  1914,  by  F.  B.  Mills,  editor  and  publisher. 
The  News,  Tremont,  III.,  Nov.  13.  1914,  by  M.  L.  Cottingham,  editor  and  publisher. 
The  Banner,  Green  Valley,  III.,  Nov.  12.  1914,  by  C.  S  Darling,  editor  and  publisher 
The  Helper,  Armmgton,  III.,  Nov.  13,  1914,  by  Jas.  McDowell,  editor:  Crihfield  Brothers 
publishers. 

The  Progress.  Deer  Creek,  III.,  Nov.  12,  1914,  by  H.  D.  Lewis,  editor  and  publisher 
The  Post,  East  Peoria.  III..  Nov.  11.  1914.  by  W.  W.  Goddard.  editor  and  publisher 
Pekin  Department,  Peoria  Journal,  Nov.  13.1914.     Abie  Schaefer,  manager;  E.  R  Rollins 
editor. 

Pekin  Department,  Peoria  Star,  Nov.  13,  1914.    Paul  Massey,  manager;  Wm.  G.  Fair,  editor 
Pekin  Department.  Peoria  Transcript,  Nov.  13,  1914.     Louie  B.  Watson,  editor  and  mana- 
ger. 

A  Biographical  Sketch  of  tieneral  .James  Shields.  Lawyer,  Soldier  and  Statesman.  Born 
in  Dungannon.  Tyrone  county,  Ireland.  ISKI.  Died  in  Ottumwa.  Iowa.  .June  1,  1879.  Shields 
gained  distinction  in  two  war.s— Mexican  and  Civil.  Was  appointed  a  General  by  Abraham 
Lincoln.    Sketch  furnished  by  Edward  Reardon,  attorney. 

A  photograph  of  Judge  A.  W.  Rodecker,  with  an  account  of  his  death. 

A  New  Year's  Address,  in  prose,  by  Mrs  Ida  F.  Rodecker. 

Photograph  of  the  members  of  Gehrig's  Band,  and  a  history  of  the  organization. 

Names  of  the  officers  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  Lodge,  akso  a  Golden  Jubilee  Souvenir. 

Names  of  Hose  Co.  No.  1,  Pekin  Fire  Department,  and  a  Photograph  of  same. 

COMMITTEES  IN  CHARGE 

General  Arrangemknt.s.— P.   Sweitzer,  S.  S.  Smith,  J.  O.  Jones.  Geo.  A    Kuhl    A    A 
Siplle. 

Music— Judge  J  M.  Rahn.  H.  Birkenbusch  and  W.  P.  Herget 
Finance.— J.  C.  Aydelott.  W.  E.  Sehurman  and  W.  E.  Lautz. 
Speakees.— J.  O.Jones,  W.  L.  Prettyman  and  G.  A.  Steinmetz. 

ORDER  OF  EXERCISE.S.   NOV.   1-4.  1014- 

lO.-lO  a.  m..     Concert,  by  Gehrig's  3anil,  from  first  floor  of  new  Court  House 

Exercises  at  the  Cavitol  Theatre,  as  follows: 
1:00    p.  m..    Music,  by  Gehrig's  Band. 

Invocation.  Rev.  W.  C.  Crofts,  Pastor  Fir.it  Presbyterian  Church,  Pekin,  Illinois. 

Address,  J.  O.  ,Iones,  Chairman  Board  of  Su/iervisors. 
1.-30    p.m..    Address,  "Qenesis  of  the  Courts  of  Tazewell  County,"  Hon.  Wm.  R   Curran 
2.-10    p.  m..  Music,  by  Oehrio's  Baud. 
2:20    p.  m..    Address,  Hon.  B.  M.  Chiperfield,  Congressman  at  Large,  Canton,  Illinois. 

Exercises  concluded  at  northwest  corner  of  the  new  Conrt  House. 
3:15    p.  m..  Laying  of  Corner  Stone,  by  Peter  .Sweitzer,  Chairman  of  Building  Committee. 


PROGRAM 

OF  A  PART  OF  THE  DEDICATORY  EXERCISES  FOR  JUNE  21,  1916 

(As  far  as  prepared  up  to  time  of  going  to  press.) 
10:,30  A.  M.— In  Circuit  Court  room— Address  by  Hon.  Wm.  J.  Calhoun.  Ex-Minister  to  China 
2:30  P.  M.— Out-Door  Meeting— Address  by  Hon.  James  M.  Graham.  Ex-Meniber  of  Congress 

Address  by  Hon.  J.  Ham  Lewis,  United  .States  Senator 
7:30  p.  M.— Automobile  Parade— Decorated  and  Illuminated 

The  New  Court  House  Decorated  and  Illuminated 
Appropriate  Instrumental  and  'Vocal  Music  will  form  a  part  ol  the  <lay  and  evening  exercises 


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